Preview: UFC Fight Night 208 ‘Blaydes vs. Aspinall’

Light Heavyweights

Nikita Krylov (27-9 | 8-7 UFC) vs. Alexander Gustafsson (18-7 | 10-7 UFC)

Odds: Krylov (-200), Gustafsson (+170)

So, where exactly is Gustafsson at? A pioneering figure for Swedish mixed martial arts on the greater stage, "The Mauler" went up a typical prospect track until his breakout performance against Jon Jones in 2013; with Jones near the peak of his powers, Gustafsson's reach was enough to give the champ some issues, resulting in an all-time memorable fight and still possibly Jones's toughest test to date. It seemed like a Jones-Gustafsson rivalry was starting that would benefit both men, but Gustafsson's career was never able to recapture that momentum. After a win over Jimi Manuwa, the UFC pivoted back to a rematch against Jones that got scrapped due to a Gustafsson injury; instead, Jones shifted to what turned out to be his all-time great rivalry against Daniel Cormier, while Gustafsson's eventual return saw him get knocked out by Anthony Johnson. Even with the Johnson loss, the state of the light heavyweight division was such that Gustafsson still got a title fight against Cormier in his next bout - which was a narrow split decision loss - and the Swede stayed relevant over the next few years with wins over Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira, each of which might actually seem better today than they were at the time. But then came a Jones rematch at the end of 2019 that wound up in a dominant Jones win, and after suffering a come-from-behind loss to Anthony Smith as a headliner in Stockholm, Gustafsson seemingly retired at the age of 32. But with MMA retirements being what they are, Gustafsson was back a shade over a year later, this time at heavyweight - where he looked decent enough for about two minutes until he got armbarred by Fabricio Werdum. It's been two years since that fight, and now over five years removed from that most recent win over Teixeira, it's unclear exactly what to make of Gustafsson heading into this bout against Nikita Krylov.

Even nearly a decade removed from his UFC debut, it's still a bit of a shock that Krylov became a relevant light heavyweight. "The Miner" was an absolute mess upon that 2013 debut against Soa Palelei, as his combination of paper-thin regional record and lackluster performance made him easy material. But Krylov cut a much more impressive figure upon cutting down from heavyweight to 205 pounds, and he was able to leverage his durability and aggression into a surprising amount of success. After leaving the UFC for a bit - more due to financial opportunity elsewhere than a lack of Octagon success - Krylov's proven to be roughly a Top 10 205-pounder upon his return; the divisional elite are able to stifle him without much issue, but Krylov's willingness to throw offense and relentlessly wrestle has been enough to take care of a lot of the division. If Gustafsson can capture anything like his peak form, his combination of speed and reach would be enough to keep Krylov at bay and frustrate him over the course of fifteen minutes. But at this point, Gustafsson needs to show that before deserving the benefit of the doubt; it'd be a great moment if Gustafsson can turn back the clock, but the pick is Krylov via decision.

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Blaydes vs. Aspinall
Hermansson vs. Curtis
Pimblett vs. Leavitt
Krylov vs. Gustafsson
McCann vs. Goldy
Craig vs. Oezdemir
The Prelims