UFC on Fuel 9: Gegard Mousasi meets Ilir Latifi, training partner of Gustafsson
By Tim Burke on Apr 2 2013, 7:08p
The UFC has found a replacement for Alexander Gustafsson to face Gegard Mousasi at UFC on Fuel 9, and it's a name you've likely never heard before.
Well, we finally know who Gegard Mousasi will be facing at UFC on Fuel 9 this Saturday in Stockholm. But I'm guessing most people are going to be left wondering who this guy is. Well, his name is Ilir Latifi. UFC president Dana White tweeted about the new fight just a few minutes ago:
Latifi (7-2) is 29-year-old fighter who is currently on a three-fight winning streak. He most recently competed back in October, where he defeated Jorge Oliveira by unanimous decision. He also holds a win over KOTC champ Tony Lopez. His losses have come to current Bellator fighter Emanuel Newton and Tatsuya Mizuno.
Mousasi's original opponent Alexander Gustafsson was forced out of the bout with a cut, which was confirmed by the Swedish Athletic Commission this morning. It was briefly thought that Wanderlei Silva was taking the bout, but that turned out to be an ill-timed April Fools Joke from the Pride legend.
It's unclear at this point if the bout will remain as the main event or if the card will be reshuffled.
Great. So Mousasi blitzes him and proves nothing. Or Moose is thrown off his game slightly, it takes more than one round for Mousasi to put him away, and people think he's overrated.
Lose/lose here for Gegard. What a bummer. At least it'll probably be an awesome, dominant quick showing for highlights/promotions sake.
I don't get why the UFC always insists on giving us crap fights instead of just scrapping a fight when people bow out due to injury. It's not fair to Mousasi and nobody wants to see this anyways.
Should be a nice KO win for Moose. I see this as a Cro Cop v Eddie Sanchez match, dude is plugged in as a sacrificial lamb. It's a shame about Gus, I was pretty intrigued by this fight, but this shit happens. At least it wasn't like Shamrock getting cut in the locker room, warming up, hours before the fight. The UFC was able to bring someone in and at least preserve a fight.
Just like the Jones/Hendo card that got cancelled, the rest of the event is that lacking in star quality that no one could've been bumped up to Main Event. And this is what happens.
This guy is a 5'8" light heavyweight. That's extremely short for this weight class. He better be an absolute powerhouse. I don't wanna see Mousasi beat up some poor guy that isn't ready for the big leagues.
LoL psycho, probably his plan all along. Cut his team mate so he can get a shot in the UFC.
...Well, so much for that. That fight went from very interesting to pretty much handing Mousasi a nice debut win in the UFC. Missed Rory at UFC 158, now Gus. Well, nothings perfect but I think the event will turn out better than we may expect...
Apparently this guy is ony like 5'8" so the work Gegard has been putting in likely with tall lanky guys is out the window, its likely gonna be a squash but hey if he is Gustafsson's training partner he could very well have been studying a lot of tape and trying to imitate Gegard. He is also from what I read a guy who likes to rely on his wresting with his biggest problem being a lack of confidence in his hands. Seeing as wrestling has been Gegard's weak spot a huge upset isn't all that absurd.
...Nice take. Squash?..lol yeah, I think's it's gonna be a Mousasi kickboxing lesson 101. Gegard has so many tools on the feet, as long as he can keep it standing or get back to his feet, it's only a matter of time before Latifi gets finished...
When this happened I assumed it would either be Ilir or Max Nunes. Now do I think Gegard will win the fight? Yes. However let me make this clear Ilir is a good fighter. He is a tank. So I wouldn't make a preconception that he is going to get smashed. I mean crazier things have happend. I.E GSP/Serra, Story/Brenneman, Silva/Chael
Eh, I don't think all mainstream MMA fans are as dumb or absent minded as forum goers believe. Strikeforce wasn't some hidden gem. And the internet is widely accessible to everyone - if someone sees Mousasi is headlining a UFC event, he or she is likely to go online and look for information. I think we underestimate how much the 'casual' fan knows. Look at the reactions Cro Cop and Rampage got when they came over to the UFC. And this was years ago. People may not be aware of Mousasi's vast history, but I'm sure they're aware of who he is and the talents he possesses (or lack-thereof, according to some). It isn't a chore to pull up old fights on Youtube.
I don't think they know who they are but I do believe that your more hardcore fan base are the best marketing tools the UFC has for guys who have been big outside the UFC.
I have been down on Mousasi ever since that Mo fight. I understand his skill, but I don't think he has IT to really put those skills to use vs. top fighters.
I hope Mousasi kills it, as I root for more interesting contenders. And Mousasi is certainly interesting and possesses a nice set of skills.
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