Cut during training forces Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson to withdraw from fight.
The UFC on FUEL TV light heavyweights main event has been saved after Alexander Gustafsson’s training partner stepped up to face Gegard Mqusasi.
Gustafsson was ruled out of the scheduled last fight of the night when doctors did not pass him during a medical on Tuesday this week due to a cut under hie left eye-brow.
When word leaked out last weekend of the injury, the Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation, said Gustafsson will have a medical days before the usual time at the weigh ins.
However, the decision for the SMMAF to not pass the home-town star for the Stockholm event fit to fight drew the ire of UFC president Dana White, who took to social media website Twitter to display his disgust.
This pic was taken of Gustafsson today and u can’t even see the cut!!! Worst decision I have EVER seen to pull fight twitter.com/danawhite/stat…
— Dana White (@danawhite) April 3, 2013
If a replacement for Gustafsson was not found the entire event in Sweden could have been at risk.
However, after the aborted UFC 151 event because of a main event imploding, nothing would stop the promotion from filling Gustafsson’s place.
In steps training partner Ilir Latifi (7-2-1 no contest) who will look to take down judo black belt Mousasi (33-3-2) in a main event that lacks the ‘number one contender’ status the original bout had promised.
Mousasi and Latifi outline the risks and rewards of their late-notice headlining bout in the preview video below:
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