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UFC Fight Night 153 Results: Winners, Scorecards for Gustafsson vs. Smith Card
June 1, 2019
A combination of established fighters and up-and-coming stars made UFC Fight Night 153 a must-see event for mixed martial arts fans.
Four of the best in the light heavyweight division were in action Saturday at the Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden, with both Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Smith coming off title bouts against Jon Jones. Jimi Manuwa and Aleksandar Rakic also entered the day hoping to move up in the division rankings.
These competitors and more created a lineup filled with exciting bouts throughout the day.
UFC Fight Night 153 Results
Light Heavyweight: Anthony Smith def. Alexander Gustafsson by Round 4 submission
Light Heavyweight: Aleksandar Rakic def. Jimi Manuwa by Round 1 knockout
Featherweight: Makwan Amirkhani def. Chris Fishgold by Round 2 submission
Lightweight: Christos Giagos def. Damir Hadzovic by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-27, 29-27)
Featherweight: Daniel Teymur def. Sung Bin Jo by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
Recap
Alexander Gustafsson vs. Anthony Smith
The hometown crowd was stunned silent in the fourth round when Smith finished his submission against Swedish star Gustafsson.
Smith looked like the better fighter in the first couple of rounds, but it was not going to be an easy win. Gustafsson took control in the third and seemed close to finishing off his opponent as many expected coming in.
However, the match ended on the mat with Smith landing some big hits to the back of the head. He eventually got in position to land the rear-naked choke to secure the victory.
Gustafsson was the more rested of the two with Smith facing Jones at UFC 235 just three months ago. However, this didn't seem to make an impact as Lionheart was able to bounce back quickly with a huge victory.
Meanwhile, Gustafsson indicated he could be retiring after the match:
Back-to-back disappointing defeats likely helped sway this decision, although he might also need some time to think about his next move.
Jimi Manuwa vs. Aleksandar Rakic
Out of all the matches, the biggest thing people will be talking about from this card is the incredible knockout by Rakic.
The Austrian came out with a purpose and needed less than a minute to land a huge kick to the head of Manuwa that ended the fight:
Just about everyone watching along had the same reaction:
It was the second straight first-round knockout for Rakic, who also now has 12 wins in a row as he continues to show he belongs in fights with the best in his weight class. It's hard to learn much from such a short fight, but we know he is capable of big things against a quality opponent.
On the other hand, Manuwa now has four losses in a row, and the 39-year-old is in the twilight of his career.
Makwan Amirkhani vs. Chris Fishgold
Mr. Finland looked right at home in Sweden as he earned a win by submission over Chris Fishgold.
Makwan Amirkhani got in perfect position for a choke in the second round, finishing his opponent before he could be saved by the bell:
There was a lot of emotion coming into the bout, and that continued in the first round with the referee needing to get himself involved. The competition picked up in the second, with Fishgold gaining a takedown that appeared to put him in control until Amirkhani reversed it on him and got the submission.
It was the first finish for the 30-year-old in more than three years.
Fishgold is still young at 26 years old, but he needs to be cleaner in his upcoming bouts to avoid this type of disappointing defeat.
Damir Hadzovic vs. Christos Giagos
Christos Giagos was the underdog coming in but looked like the better fighter of the two men in the Octagon Saturday.
The American utilized his wrestling skills to his advantage, getting six takedowns over the course of the match, including some big slams:
Damir Hadzovic was left with limited opportunities to cause damage against his opponent, also seeming to tire relatively early on. It created a one-sided performance with Giagos running away with it.
Hadzovic had won his last two bouts, but the style difference seemed to cause too many problems in this one.
Giagos looks like someone who could be a threat against better competition, although he will likely need to work on finishing bouts before he tires himself out.
Daniel Teymur vs. Sung Bin Jo
Sung Bin Jo entered with a 9-0 record—all by knockout or submission—but the biggest test of his career didn't go the way he likely hoped.
Daniel Teymur looked like the more experienced fighter and was extremely aggressive right out of the gate:
Although the Swedish fighter had struggled a bit with his consistency in later rounds recently, he kept it going this time out with big hits throughout the three rounds. Jo rarely seemed in control and didn't bring enough to keep pace.
This was enough for all three judges to rule in favor of Teymur.
After three straight losses, this was a huge bounce-back win for Kid Dynamite as he tries to get back on track. Meanwhile, Jo will have a lot of pressure on him to succeed in his next fight regardless of who he faces.