Alexander Gustafsson: Check Out the Cut That Stopped the Fight

The cut that stopped the fight.

Alexander Gustafsson on Tuesday was officially forced out of his UFC on Fuel TV 9 main event fight with Gegard Mousasi. The Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation’s medical board determined that a cut Gustafsson suffered recently in training would not properly heal in time for him to participate on Saturday in Stockholm.

Gustafsson, it should be noted, still wanted to fight, but the SMMAF medical committee determined otherwise, taking the decision out of his and his bosses’ hands.

“As it is clear that Alexander Gustafsson will not be fit to compete as planned and cannot be medically cleared on Friday the 5th of April, the SMMAF Medical Committee has today decided that Alexander Gustafsson will not be allowed to participate in the planned match on April 6,” read an SMMAF statement on Tuesday.

Gustafsson, who had been rather quiet through the preceding days, released a statement and photo via his website on Wednesday, explaining that the cut happened while training wrestling. He slipped during a wrestling drill and hit his head on the cage, opening a cut that required three stitches.

He noted that he and his team did everything they could to keep the fight intact despite the cut, but added, “It is unfortunately not in our hands anymore.”

UFC president Dana White tweeted a more recent photo on Wednesday, in which the cut is much less apparent. White added his criticism of the SMMAF, calling it the “Worst decision I have EVER seen to pull a fight.”

Regardless of Gustafsson’s and White’s desires to keep the fight intact, the decision was made and now Gegard Mousasi squares off with Gustafsson training partner Ilir Latifi in the UFC on Fuel TV 9 main event.

This pic was taken of Gustafsson today and u can’t even see the cut!!! Worst decision I have EVER seen to pull fight twitter.com/danawhite/stat…

— Dana White (@danawhite) April 3, 2013