MANILA, Philippines – Rising UFC star Alexander Gustafsson, the only fighter who came close to beating light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, arrived on Philippine shores to meet Filipino mixed martial arts (MMA) fans.
The towering Swedish fighter, nicknamed “The Mauler”, said he is excited to meet local fans during his open training at Trinoma this Sunday.
“It’s good to be here,” said Gustafsson during the press conference held at the ELJ Building inside the ABS-CBN compound in Quezon City.
“I just arrived last night… I’m really excited. The Filipino people are very respectable and they have good knowledge of the sport.”
The 6’5” Gustafsson is coming off a bruising 5-round encounter with the once formidable Jones, who looked vulnerable under The Mauler’s attacks.
Gustafsson also earned the distinction of being the first fighter to score a takedown against Jones.
It was, however, Gustafsson's first five-rounder fight. The champion was still able to rally towards the end to fashion out a come-from-behind unanimous decision win over the Swede.
“Next time, I would probably do everything differently. I learned a lesson in that fight and I would change a lot of details,” he said of his loss.
“I know what to expect now, it was my first five-rounder.”
When asked if he would be willing to be featured in a UFC fight in the Philippines, he answered in the affirmative.
“Absolutely. I really love this place and it’s my first time in Asia, I’m having a good time so I would love to fight here,” said Gustaffson, who is scheduled to hold a boxing clinic on Saturday before going to his open training at Trinoma on Sunday.
Balls Channel Head Jojo Neri-Estacio said Gustafsson’s visit is part of their commitment to bring UFC closer to the fans.
They previously brought in UFC stars such as Brandon Vera, Mark Munoz, Chuck Liddell, BJ Penn and Georges St-Pierre.
“As you see, the experience of having the fighters here is the best way that we could reach out to the audience,” said Neri-Estacio.
“We continue to do everything we can to help build the [UFC] brand, build awareness.”
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
