Gustafsson vs. Johnson: What We Learned from No. 1 Contender's Fight

Thousands dressed in yellow and blue entered the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden, on Saturday night to witness their favorite son, Alexander Gustafsson, clear the final hurdle on his way to a rematch with UFC light heavyweight champ Jon Jones.

Standing across from him was Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, a reincarnated beast on a blood-soaked path of redemption.

All of the blue and yellow confetti in the world would mean absolutely nothing if Gustafsson failed this final test and missed out on a second dance with Jones. As for Johnson, it was his grand opportunity to title-bomb one of the most anticipated championship rematches in UFC history.

Under the brightest of television spotlights at UFC on Fox 14, Johnson handled business and reminded MMA fans why he’s the biggest threat to Jones’ belt.

You could hear a pin drop as Johnson blasted Gustafsson in the first round at 2:15 for a shocking TKO stoppage. 

"I feel bad because [Gustafsson's] crying," Johnson told UFC commentator Joe Rogan in the cage after the fight. "I'm an emotional guy, he's an emotional guy. Hope you guys enjoyed the show."

In the words of UFC President Dana White, Johnson is a scary man: 

What We Will Remember About This Fight

While this fight hardly counts as an upset, it feels like one, especially considering the amount of hype surrounding Gustafsson coming in. Johnson rained on the blue-and-yellow parade and played spoiler to a blockbuster rematch.

"I can't believe I beat the guy who, in my opinion, beat Jon Jones," Johnson said at the post-fight news conference aired on Fight Pass. "I was in a state of shock."

Johnson entered the fight as public enemy No. 1 and eviscerated the only man to make Jones look human in just over two minutes. Referee Mark Goddard also gets an honorable mention here for giving Gustafsson every chance in the world to recover. 

What We Learned About Alexander Gustafsson

Gustafsson was christened as the chosen one, but after dropping his third fight in the UFC, he is forced to take a few steps back in line.

The Swede didn't make any excuses for getting trounced in front of his home crowd. He chose to play with fire against a dangerous knockout artist and got burned.

Perhaps the nerves of fighting in front of his home country got to him. He started out smart, firing at range. But his inadvertent eye poke on Johnson caused a momentary stoppage in the fight, and on the reset, he gave Johnson the opening he needed, and the underdog pounced. 

What We Learned About Anthony Johnson

After snuffing out Gustafsson on foreign soil, Johnson now looks toward a showdown with the UFC’s polarizing prodigal son. For years, the MMA world has waited for the Joe Frazier to Jones’ Muhammad Ali.

Johnson just may be that guy. 

He proved that even against the very best in the division, his combination of power, aggression and increasing accuracy is a force to be reckoned with. The champ was paying attention: 

What’s Next for Gustafsson

He is still one of the best light heavyweights in the world. Unfortunately, he just ran into a buzz saw Saturday night in Rumble.

He will likely face another top fighter in the division who is coming off a loss. Perhaps he could meet Cormier, who just lost to Jones in their title fight. Or perhaps he could rematch Phil Davis, who came up just short versus Ryan Bader earlier in the night. A win over Cormier especially would put him right back in the mix for a title shot in the second half of 2015. 

What’s Next for Johnson

The road map is clear for Johnson, who now moves on to challenge Jones for the light heavyweight title. Given that Johnson so easily took out the man who pushed Jones to the brink in their title fight back at UFC 165, it's not that crazy to think maybe he can do the same to the champion. 

Jones is famous for trying to beat his opponents where they are strongest, like when he outwrestled Cormier. However, as Gustafsson found out the hard way, it's probably a bad idea to engage in a firefight with Johnson. 

More likely, Jones will want to fight at distance, utilizing his reach advantage—especially with leg kicks—while mixing in clinch work to try to wear Johnson down. Eventually, he'll look to secure takedowns and perhaps a submission later in the fight.

If ever there was a bull vs. matador fight, this is it.