UFC Stockholm results: Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic earn impressive stoppage wins

E. Spencer Kyte

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UFC Stockholm results: Anthony Smith, Aleksandar Rakic earn impressive stoppage wins image

Coffee and fisticuffs were on the breakfast menu on Saturday as the UFC returned to Sweden for an early morning start in Stockholm, where a dozen pairs of fighters made their way two-by-two into the Octagon, capped by hometown hero Alexander Gustafsson striding into the cage for a crucial showdown with fellow recent title challenger Anthony Smith.

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These European events are often electric affairs and this weekend’s offering was no different.

The prelims produced a number of finishes and impressive performances, highlighted by a walk-off knockout win from the returning Leonardo Santos, who melted Stevie Ray with a beautiful counter right hand:

 

 

There was a slight lull at the outset of the main card, but business picked up down the stretch, producing an entertaining conclusion to the night and leaving folks with plenty to talk about coming away from the Ericsson Globe.

Here’s a look at what transpired on the main card and the impact those results could have going forward.

Anthony Smith silences arena, submits Alexander Gustafsson

Official Result: Anthony Smith def. Alexander Gustafsson by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:38 of Round 4

Coming off a disappointing effort in March against Jon Jones, Anthony Smith needed a bounce-back effort to prove that he was a legitimate contender in the light heavyweight ranks. He proved that and more on Saturday, silencing the partisan crowd inside the sold-out Ericsson Globe.

Over the opening two rounds, “Lionheart” pressed the action and took the fight to Gustafsson, landing the greater strikes and forcing the hometown favorite to constantly circle and reset. After Gustafsson rebounded with a strong five minutes in the middle stanza, Smith followed his coach Marc Montoya’s instructions in the fourth, returning to the offensive and varying his offerings to once again force Gustafsson to move backward.

Coming out of a scramble early in the round, Smith was able to push Gustafsson against the fence and climb onto the perennial contender’s back. Though he looked high to begin, Smith was able to reset, flatten Gustafsson out and eventually fish his forearm under the neck, forcing “The Mauler” to tap.

 

What it means: This is a massive victory for Smith, who now has to be viewed as one of the absolute best in the 205-pound ranks. Not only did he rebound from his sluggish performance against Jones, but he went on the road, adjusted his approach after breaking his hand early and finished Gustafsson.

A lot of people think of Smith as an entertaining brawler, but while he certainly likes to sling leather, he also reminded people on Saturday that he’s a legit black belt and it would be surprising to me if he didn’t try to integrate that part of his game into his fights more going forward. He showed great patience and understanding in taking out Gustafsson’s base and getting his arm sunk early, setting up the finish, and it could be a quality weapon for him going forward.

This was obviously a heartbreaking loss for Gustafsson, who took off his gloves and declared, “The show’s over, guys” before leaving them in the cage and heading for the back. He’s been a fixture in the Top 5 for the last five years, but constantly come up short against the division’s very best, which has to be demoralizing.

Time will tell if this was something he was thinking about or a spur of the moment reaction to another devastating loss on home soil.

Aleksandar Rakic flattens Jimi Manuwa to emerge as a contender

Official Result: Aleksandar Rakic def. Jimi Manuwa by knockout (head kick) at 0:42 of Round 1

Aleksandar Rakic announced himself as a contender in the light heavyweight division on Saturday, laying out veteran Jimi Manuwa with a picture-perfect head kick less than a minute into the fight, securing his fourth straight UFC victory and 12th consecutive win overall.

As the duo looked to establish their range in the opening moments of the fight, Rakic went high with a kick and Manuwa went down in a heap.

 

What it means: Rakic has been one of the underrated emerging talents in the light heavyweight division over the last 12 months, but there is no more underrating the Austrian now. He was unranked prior to this one, but after dropping Manuwa in spectacular fashion, Rakic should land a place in the Top 15 and another familiar name next time out.

Additionally, this should hopefully end the whole 'light heavyweight sucks' narrative that continues to be perpetuated every time a top-end fight in the 205-pound ranks comes around. There are a number of talented up-and-coming fighters working their way up the divisional ladder, with Rakic at the vanguard, and it should produce some outstanding fresh matchups going forward.

This was a scary finish and one that raises questions about Manuwa’s fighting future. The 39-year-old has now lost four straight and been stopped quickly and violently in three of those four contests. He crashed to the canvas with a thud on Saturday and remained down for an extended period and you have to wonder how much the veteran, who brings a kill-or-be-killed mentality to the cage every time, has left.

Makwan Amirkhani submits Chris Fishgold in Octagon return

Official Result: Makwan Amirkhani def. Chris Fishgold by submission (anaconda choke) at 4:25 of Round 2

Amirkhani has been one of the most entertaining fighters in the featherweight ranks since his debut in Stockholm four years ago, however he’s been limited to a single appearance in each of the previous three years. Saturday night, “Mr. Finland” returned for the first time in over a year and showed no signs of rust, securing a second-round submission win over the feisty Fishgold.

After using an outstanding level change to salt away the first round, Amirkhani dipped in for another takedown late in the second, fending off a submission attempt by Fishgold before latching onto a deep anaconda choke of his own in the final minute of the frame. Fishgold defended properly, circling away from Amirkhani’s legs, but the Finnish featherweight was undeterred, tightening his squeeze, rotating with him and securing the tap.

 

 

What it means: First and foremost, this hopefully means that Amirkhani will be an active member of the featherweight division going forward because this whole fighting once a year thing is just not enough from the always entertaining 30-year-old.

Secondly, it should remind everyone that Amirkhani is a legitimate dark horse in the division, as he’s now 5-1 in the UFC, with his lone setback coming by split decision against talented British prospect Arnold Allen. While he loves his flying attacks and being a little lose with his hands, Amirkhani has excellent timing on his entries and a very deft submission game, both of which were on display Saturday, and if he were to fight a little more frequently, he could potentially make a run towards the Top 15.

The 26-year-old Fishgold is now 1-2 through his first three UFC starts, but losses to Amirkhani and Calvin Kattar aren’t anything to be embarrassed by. He made a bit of a tactical mistake that lead to the finishing setup, but there were pieces of the fight where he showed promise and he should another look later this year.

Christos Giagos grinds out Damir Hadzovic for second straight victory

Official Result: Christos Giagos def. Damir Hadzovic by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)

After compiling a 1-2 record in his first UFC run, Giagos brought things back to level with a hard-fought, complete effort against Hadzovic on Saturday in Stockholm. The 29-year-old Black House representative started well, stinging Hadzovic in the first before using his wrestling to capture the second.

While Hadzovic was able to take the third, it was a case of too little, too late, resulting in Giagos getting the nod, resulting in both men leaving Stockholm with 3-3 records inside the Octagon.

 

 

What it means: Giagos is one of those guys whose UFC record is a little misleading because in each of his stints on the roster, “The Spartan” was thrown into the deep end of the divisional talent pool. Now that he’s back fighting against fellow middle class lightweights, Giagos is starting to show the skills that have led to him getting called up to the big leagues on two separate occasions.

The timing on his takedowns was very good in the first and he did well to keep constant pressure on Hadzovic, who is an unrelenting, tireless worker and a nightmare to put away. Giagos landed some good, clean shots on the feet and Hadzovic wore them well, but this was a very good effort for the Californian.

Hadzovic looked flat on Saturday, offering far less offense than we’re used to seeing from him. As much as he displayed his signature toughness and resiliency, the 32-year-old didn’t have much to offer Giagos on the feet and seemed to get worn out by being forced to defend numerous takedown attempts early.

Now sporting a 3-3 record in the UFC, Hadzovic will undoubtedly be a part of the upcoming card in Copenhagen, but the pressure will be one when he steps into the Octagon in his adopted hometown. 

Daniel Teymur collects first UFC win, defeats newcomer Sung Bin Jo

Official Result: Daniel Teymur def. Sung Bin Jo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

This one started quickly — as all of Teymur’s fights do — with the Swedish featherweight charging across the cage and connecting with the signature wide hooks that earned him the “Kid Dynamite” nickname. The aggressive striker followed it up by dipping in for a takedown, putting Jo on his back before attacking with ground-and-pound, only to be forced to regroup as the South Korean newcomer threatened with submissions off his back.

The pace slowed over the final two rounds, with Teymur clearly getting frustrated by Jo’s lack of engagement, but he continued to push forward, dictate the pace and pick up the first victory of his UFC career.

 

What it means: After catching losses in his first three Octagon appearances, Teymur avoids an 0-4 start and a trip back to the regional circuit by breaking into the win column. It wasn’t his most entertaining fight thus far, but it was his most measured, complete and important effort to date as Teymur showed he can dial back the wildness and has added some new wrinkles to his game.

As for Jo, he looked like a guy who mauled overmatched competition on the regional circuit and got punched in the mouth right out of the gate in his UFC debut. It was a poor effort where he failed to land 10 significant strikes in any round and he’ll need to rebound in a major way next time out.

UFC Stockholm Official Results

Main card

  • Anthony Smith def. Alexander Gustafsson by submission (rear-naked choke) at 2:38 of Round 4
  • Aleksandar Rakic def. Jimi Manuwa by knockout (head kick) at 0:42 of Round 1
  • Makwan Amirkhani def. Chris Fishgold by submission (anaconda choke) at 4:25 of Round 2
  • Christos Giagos def. Damir Hadzovic by unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-28)
  • Daniel Teymur def. Sung Bin Jo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Prelims

  • Sergey Khandozhko def. Rostem Akman by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Lina Lansberg def. Tonya Evinger by unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-26)
  • Leonardo Santos def. Stevie Ray by knockout (punch) at 2:17 of Round 1
  • Frank Camacho def. Nick Hein by TKO (strikes) at 4:56 of Round 2
  • Bea Malecki def. Eduarda Santana by submission (rear-naked choke) at 1:59 of Round 2
  • Devin Clark def. Darko Stosic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
  • Joel Alvarez def. Danilo Belluardo by TKO (strikes) at 2:22 of Round 2

E. Spencer Kyte