Issue 153
April 2017
From his upbringing to MMA career, here are the main eight facts about Alexander Gustafsson
1: COUNTRY BOYS
The Swede grew up in Arborga, a rural 13th century town of just 10,000 inhabitants.
2: SPORTING GENES
‘The Mauler’s father played soccer and his mother rode horses competitively.
3: BOX CLEVER
He won the youth Swedish boxing championships aged 16, but left the sport for MMA.
4: BEHIND BARS
In his late teens Gustafsson spent some time behind bars for assault and minor offences.
5: RING RETURN
Back in amateur boxing after five years, he beat the Swedish heavyweight champ.
6: TITLE CHASER
The Swede won the fans’ vote to star opposite Jones on the cover of the EA Sports UFC game.
7: SILVER SCREEN
He made his acting debut in Swedish film Johan Falk: Blood Diamonds as a police chief.
8: TEAM LOYALTY
Coach Andreas Michael quit his job with the Olympic boxing team to guide his MMA career.
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