I am Alexander Gustafsson, mixed martial artist and #1 ranked light heavyweight in the UFC. I am also on the cover for the new EA SPORTS UFC game!

I have just agreed to fight for the UFC light heavyweight title and am now waiting for the other party! I’m currently in Berlin for UFC Fight Night this weekend, Munoz vs. Mousasi and you can watch the event live on UFC Fight Pass this Saturday night: http://www.ufc.tv/page/fightpass

Proof: https://twitter.com/UFC_UK/status/471304578684960768

I'll be back at 7pm CET / 6pm GMT / 1pm ET / 10am PT

Ask Me Anything!

Edit: Thanks guys geat talking to u i need to go and train! make sure to watch ufc berlin on ufc fight pass its gonna be a great nite! Thank u all for the support!

Tack snalla for stodet maste dra och trana nu.. ta hand om er sa hors vi :)

Comments: 1236 • Responses: 49  • Date: 

AlexanderGustafsson989 karma

Hello Alex,

I am a huge fan of yours, and have been for a LONG time. I followed you on twitter when you only had 5k followers and we used to talk. I started training in mma because of you.

Here's a pic of me and my friend wearing your shirt today in school: http://imgur.com/Ge5E68U

Also, I'm really sorry for stealing your username.

I just want to say thank you for everything. I will always be a fan.

My question is: How is your mindset changed going into the second jones fight? You are easily a crowd favorite now and you have shown you have the tools to get the belt.

Finally, here is a highlight video I made: http://youtu.be/ajRaWdUyos8

AlexTheMauler551 karma

I really appreciate your support and I think I'm a much better fighter now compared to when I fought Jones the first time. In every aspect!

hopplngvampire314 karma

There has been a lot of talk about how Jones fighting style causes eye pokes and some people have called him a dirty fighter. You yourself got eye poked during your last fight with Jones, but at the same time you were both warned to watch your fingers by John McCarthy. Being a tall fighter yourself you definitely could profit by using your reach the same way as Jones, by putting your hand/fingers in front of your opponents face.

Do you have any thoughts on the controversy surrounding Jones use of his reach and the resulting eye pokes?

AlexTheMauler470 karma

I don't think he eye pokes people on purpose but one, two, three times it's something he needs to stop doing

Riding_my_bike216 karma

Alex! Which pizzeria has the best kebab in Arboga?

AlexTheMauler314 karma

Arboga Pizzeria

Buckfost186 karma


AlexTheMauler472 karma

I'm happy with the rules, we don;t have to change anything. My favourite fighter is Fedor!

deformedorange164 karma

How do you feel you would match up against Daniel Cormier if that fight were to ever happen?

AlexTheMauler309 karma

I think it would be a great matchup, he's a strong wrestler and I'm a strong striker. The fight will happen in the future.

Games_and_Dames149 karma


AlexTheMauler242 karma

I will!

CaptainSasquatch145 karma


AlexTheMauler214 karma


interceptedthrowaway142 karma

Do you feel that you deserved the win in your first match with Jon Jones?

AlexTheMauler371 karma


Kknowsbest134 karma

If they made a movie about your life, who would play you (other than yourself)?

AlexTheMauler699 karma

Peter Dinklage :-)

JonjakobJinkleHymer119 karma

You think you could take GSP

AlexTheMauler323 karma


khabibnurmy114 karma

How did you and Phil Davis start training together after your fight? Did you just go tell him he's got sweet wrestling, and you two became bros?

AlexTheMauler159 karma

Yeah, we talked after the fight and we gave each other contact information and a few months later I was over in Alliance training.

gqsmooth112 karma

Anyone in the UFC that you find genuinely scary?

AlexTheMauler253 karma


JustJack_1999 karma

You're my favourite fighter in the UFC. I watch ALL your fights, win or lose. What is your most memorable moment in UFC?

AlexTheMauler147 karma

Thanks for the support. My debut.

Stoooooooo92 karma

Thanks for the AMA!


AlexTheMauler120 karma

It happens alot nowadays. Everywhere. It doesn't matter where I am.

rlawnsgud71 karma

What fighter do you look up to the most, and whose fighting style do you think is the closest to your own fighting style?

Thanks for the AMA!:)

AlexTheMauler139 karma

I look up to every champion because I want to be a champion one day and I think I have my own style, I'm not similar to anyone.

MJS5570 karma

Do you think you need to change your gameplan at all for your Jones rematch? (I think you won that fight, by the way!).

AlexTheMauler120 karma

Thankyou. I need to change alot and I'm working on it everyday

MrBlobby36067 karma

If you had the opportunity to train with any fighter (in any sport) from the past, who would it be?

AlexTheMauler206 karma

Fedor Emlianenko

Silent2266 karma

Did you watch Daniel Cormier's fight against Dan Henderson this past Saturday? What are your thoughts on DC as a future opponent?

AlexTheMauler106 karma

He looked great, it was a one sided fight, he dominated the whole fight.

harras_harlaw63 karma


AlexTheMauler140 karma


bomboof56 karma

Are there any up and coming fighters in Sweden we should watch out for?

AlexTheMauler117 karma

Magnus Cedenblad, Niklas Backstrom and Ilr latifi and nico muskoe. I'm in Berlin with Magnus & Niklas now. Watch them on UFC Fight Pass this Saturday!

zendium44 karma

Day after a fight, what do you do?

AlexTheMauler145 karma


Milosmilk41 karma

Coming from Sweden myself I know MMA and martial arts generally have been controversial. You probably know yourself about the strange laws we have regarding professional boxing and how sensationalist media is often trying to negatively skew boxing (Anna Wahlbergs KO a year back for example).

Do you feel the attitude regarding MMA in Sweden is changing and that it's becoming more accepted as a legitimate sport?

AlexTheMauler55 karma

Yes I do

JameSplash41 karma

Hey Alex, mega fan here! How close do you think MMA is to becoming a mainstream sport in Europe? What will it be like in 5 years?

AlexTheMauler54 karma

Thanks for the support! I think in the near future, it will be shorter than 5 years.

smoothtrip35 karma

What was your reaction to the Dillashaw vs Barao fight?

AlexTheMauler74 karma

I was very impressed by TJ!

fezbang33 karma

As a fighter that was on the wrong side of a closely scored fight Do you feel there needs to be an overhaul to the way fights are scored? If so what would be your recommendation to fix it?

AlexTheMauler91 karma

Thanks. I think we shouldn't leave the decision to the judges.

Gangy132 karma

Could you beat Daniel Cormier?

AlexTheMauler89 karma


RustCoIe32 karma

Hey Alex, big fan. Would you ever consider moving up to heavyweight one day?

AlexTheMauler53 karma

No. Not for now.

annoyingtoread29 karma

1) What would you say is the most important part to training as an MMA professional? 2) What drives you as a fighter? 3) How does it feel to be one of the biggest stars outside of the USA/South America?

AlexTheMauler53 karma

  1. Willing to learn . 2. To be the best in the world. 3. It feels great, I love what I do

KingHercules28 karma

How do you think it will go for Backstrom and Cedenblad? Will you be in their corner? Good luck against Jones and good luck with the AMA!

AlexTheMauler41 karma

I think they will do great, they're well prepared and yes I'll be in their corner. Thanks for the support!

Secortesio22 karma

Hey Alex! Big fan of yours here; had you down as winning the Jones fight and will be rooting for you to take the title in the rematch. Was just wondering though, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much you like meatballs?

AlexTheMauler55 karma

A 5. Not a huge fan of meatballs.

BurgersOFA19 karma

What is your favorite brand of cereal?

AlexTheMauler80 karma


Ahtheteep18 karma

At what moment in your career were you the most mad at your opponent?

AlexTheMauler88 karma

I'm a professional fighter and I work everyday to not put any feelings into my training and competing.

kentastico16 karma

Do you recommend training weights? If so, how often and what type of lifting? :D

One more; as a professional fighter, did/do you have time to party with your friends?

AlexTheMauler47 karma

I recommend that you train with your body weight and functional movement. Yes I'm with friends and family after the fight

dillpickles1616 karma

I'm a high school wrestler who loves MMA how important is wrestling to MMA? And also do you support Olympic wrestling or would you rather it be replaced with a different sport like MMA for example?

AlexTheMauler42 karma

Wrestling is very important aspect and I support the Olympic wrestling

E_RoD5515 karma

Hey Alex! Worst injury suffered during a fight?

AlexTheMauler55 karma

A few stitches

truthjusticeUSAway14 karma

I practice jiu jitsu, and given that you're a highly-ranked fighter not typically considered a grappler, tell me what you think jiu jitsu adds to the sport of MMA and your game specifically. Do you feel like the days of "you need to know BJJ" in MMA are over, or is it still incredibly important for all fighters, even non-grapplers, to gain at least a mid-level understanding of BJJ (about a purple belt level)?


Do you think that jiu jitsu is just as important to MMA as it used to be and that the recent drop in submission rates is due to a greater general awareness of jiu jitsu?


Do you think wrestling has taken ground from BJJ and allows fighters to enter MMA without much knowledge of BJJ by using wrestling?


Do you think that the rules of MMA simply make diving for submissions a positional gamble, so people abandon attempting submissions for fear of losing position and the favor of the judges (even though the fighter may be an incredibly high level BJJ guy)?

AlexTheMauler35 karma

I think every aspect of MMA is very important to train, this sport is developing and you always need to make progress in your training to compete at the highest level.

Maytrows11 karma

Who was the sparring partner you learnt the most from? If you could steal one skill from another fighter what would you take and from whom?

Have a nice day!

AlexTheMauler20 karma

I try to learn as much as possible from every sparring partner I have.

Ahtheteep8 karma

Swedes love their soccer. You have a favorite club?

AlexTheMauler28 karma

I don't have a favourite team but I support Sweden everytime they play

Aaurora6 karma

Hi Alex! As an American fan, it can be difficult to get any information on foreign fighters from credible sources, so thank you so much for this AMA!

My question is, what is it about MMA that resonates so strongly with you, that it would have been such life-changing experience?. I know you credit the discipline, but is there more? Do you enjoy the competition? The controlled violence? The personal achievements?

AlexTheMauler8 karma

I think to be at the highest level you can't train it as a hobby, you have to live MMA everyday and it made me who I am today.

johnstin932 karma

Thanks for doing the AMA Alex, big fan of the UFC here. I love your striking game and my question is, what submission hold best describes your personality?

AlexTheMauler4 karma

Guillotine. And thanks!

Ahtheteep2 karma

I've had the privilege to watch your young Allstars partner Oliver Enkamp fight and was thoroughly impressed. How far do you think he could go?

AlexTheMauler4 karma

I think he can go all the way. He's young and willing to learn, he works very hard.

effy_stonem2 karma

I saw you sparred with Viktor Pesta, what do you think about his fighting style and chances in Berlin and longterm?

AlexTheMauler3 karma

I think he's a great fighter, very athletic guy and when it comes to competing he really goes for it. He will win in Berlin!

ottmike1 karma

  1. How do you feel about the idea of same-day weigh-ins for fights?
  2. Were there any other sports you were pursuing outside of MMA?

AlexTheMauler1 karma

I think the way we have it today is the best way to do it. I've always done boxing

croy_001 karma

What does your weight get up to in between camps? Also, how hard is the weight cut for you?

AlexTheMauler2 karma

Around 230-235lbs and the weight cut is easy

datcarguy1 karma

What is your typical post-weight cut meal?

AlexTheMauler3 karma

I try to eat healthy as possible. Carbs, vitamins, electrolites

Botmar1 karma

Hej Alexander!

What's your favourite food to bulk on?

AlexTheMauler3 karma

Grandma's food.

Squirt19781 karma

Man, always wanted to ask. After your fighting days are over, will you have your ears cosmetically repaired, or live the rest of your life with cauliflower ears?

AlexTheMauler3 karma

I'm proud of them, it means I've gone through some tough battles :-)