I am Alexander Gustafsson - UFC light heavyweight. AMA!

Hello Alex,

I am a huge fan of yours, and have been for a LONG time. I followed you on twitter when you only had 5k followers and we used to talk. I started training in mma because of you.

Here's a pic of me and my friend wearing your shirt today in school: http://imgur.com/Ge5E68U

Also, I'm really sorry for stealing your username.

I just want to say thank you for everything. I will always be a fan.

My question is: How is your mindset changed going into the second jones fight? You are easily a crowd favorite now and you have shown you have the tools to get the belt.

Finally, here is a highlight video I made: http://youtu.be/ajRaWdUyos8

I really appreciate your support and I think I'm a much better fighter now compared to when I fought Jones the first time. In every aspect!

There has been a lot of talk about how Jones fighting style causes eye pokes and some people have called him a dirty fighter. You yourself got eye poked during your last fight with Jones, but at the same time you were both warned to watch your fingers by John McCarthy. Being a tall fighter yourself you definitely could profit by using your reach the same way as Jones, by putting your hand/fingers in front of your opponents face.

Do you have any thoughts on the controversy surrounding Jones use of his reach and the resulting eye pokes?

I don't think he eye pokes people on purpose but one, two, three times it's something he needs to stop doing

Alex! Which pizzeria has the best kebab in Arboga?

Arboga Pizzeria

What rules if any would you change in MMA? Soccer kicks, downward elbows, faster stand-ups? Also who is your favourite European fighter ever?

I'm happy with the rules, we don;t have to change anything. My favourite fighter is Fedor!

How do you feel you would match up against Daniel Cormier if that fight were to ever happen?

I think it would be a great matchup, he's a strong wrestler and I'm a strong striker. The fight will happen in the future.

[removed]

I will!

How much water weight do you cut before a fight? How much do you weigh when you step into the cage on fight night?

About 30 pounds and I weigh around 217-220 when I fight

Do you feel that you deserved the win in your first match with Jon Jones?

Yes.

If they made a movie about your life, who would play you (other than yourself)?

Peter Dinklage :-)

You think you could take GSP

No.

How did you and Phil Davis start training together after your fight? Did you just go tell him he's got sweet wrestling, and you two became bros?

Yeah, we talked after the fight and we gave each other contact information and a few months later I was over in Alliance training.

Anyone in the UFC that you find genuinely scary?

No!

You're my favourite fighter in the UFC. I watch ALL your fights, win or lose. What is your most memorable moment in UFC?

Thanks for the support. My debut.

Thanks for the AMA!

How often do you get recognized out in public? Any amusing stories like that you can share?

It happens alot nowadays. Everywhere. It doesn't matter where I am.

What fighter do you look up to the most, and whose fighting style do you think is the closest to your own fighting style?

Thanks for the AMA!:)

I look up to every champion because I want to be a champion one day and I think I have my own style, I'm not similar to anyone.

Do you think you need to change your gameplan at all for your Jones rematch? (I think you won that fight, by the way!).

Thankyou. I need to change alot and I'm working on it everyday

If you had the opportunity to train with any fighter (in any sport) from the past, who would it be?

Fedor Emlianenko

Did you watch Daniel Cormier's fight against Dan Henderson this past Saturday? What are your thoughts on DC as a future opponent?

He looked great, it was a one sided fight, he dominated the whole fight.

Who do you think would have given you the best fight in their prime. Tito Ortiz Chuck Liddell Rampage Shogun or Ricardo Arona

Shogun

Are there any up and coming fighters in Sweden we should watch out for?

Magnus Cedenblad, Niklas Backstrom and Ilr latifi and nico muskoe. I'm in Berlin with Magnus & Niklas now. Watch them on UFC Fight Pass this Saturday!

Day after a fight, what do you do?

Eat!

Coming from Sweden myself I know MMA and martial arts generally have been controversial. You probably know yourself about the strange laws we have regarding professional boxing and how sensationalist media is often trying to negatively skew boxing (Anna Wahlbergs KO a year back for example).

Do you feel the attitude regarding MMA in Sweden is changing and that it's becoming more accepted as a legitimate sport?

Yes I do

Hey Alex, mega fan here! How close do you think MMA is to becoming a mainstream sport in Europe? What will it be like in 5 years?

Thanks for the support! I think in the near future, it will be shorter than 5 years.

What was your reaction to the Dillashaw vs Barao fight?

I was very impressed by TJ!

As a fighter that was on the wrong side of a closely scored fight Do you feel there needs to be an overhaul to the way fights are scored? If so what would be your recommendation to fix it?

Thanks. I think we shouldn't leave the decision to the judges.

Could you beat Daniel Cormier?

Yes!

Hey Alex, big fan. Would you ever consider moving up to heavyweight one day?

No. Not for now.

1) What would you say is the most important part to training as an MMA professional? 2) What drives you as a fighter? 3) How does it feel to be one of the biggest stars outside of the USA/South America?

1. Willing to learn . 2. To be the best in the world. 3. It feels great, I love what I do

How do you think it will go for Backstrom and Cedenblad? Will you be in their corner? Good luck against Jones and good luck with the AMA!

I think they will do great, they're well prepared and yes I'll be in their corner. Thanks for the support!

Hey Alex! Big fan of yours here; had you down as winning the Jones fight and will be rooting for you to take the title in the rematch. Was just wondering though, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much you like meatballs?

A 5. Not a huge fan of meatballs.

What is your favorite brand of cereal?

Vikings!

At what moment in your career were you the most mad at your opponent?

I'm a professional fighter and I work everyday to not put any feelings into my training and competing.

Do you recommend training weights? If so, how often and what type of lifting? :D

One more; as a professional fighter, did/do you have time to party with your friends?

I recommend that you train with your body weight and functional movement. Yes I'm with friends and family after the fight

I'm a high school wrestler who loves MMA how important is wrestling to MMA? And also do you support Olympic wrestling or would you rather it be replaced with a different sport like MMA for example?

Wrestling is very important aspect and I support the Olympic wrestling

Hey Alex! Worst injury suffered during a fight?

A few stitches

I practice jiu jitsu, and given that you're a highly-ranked fighter not typically considered a grappler, tell me what you think jiu jitsu adds to the sport of MMA and your game specifically. Do you feel like the days of "you need to know BJJ" in MMA are over, or is it still incredibly important for all fighters, even non-grapplers, to gain at least a mid-level understanding of BJJ (about a purple belt level)?

EDITED FOR CLARITY:

Do you think that jiu jitsu is just as important to MMA as it used to be and that the recent drop in submission rates is due to a greater general awareness of jiu jitsu?

OR

Do you think wrestling has taken ground from BJJ and allows fighters to enter MMA without much knowledge of BJJ by using wrestling?

OR

Do you think that the rules of MMA simply make diving for submissions a positional gamble, so people abandon attempting submissions for fear of losing position and the favor of the judges (even though the fighter may be an incredibly high level BJJ guy)?

I think every aspect of MMA is very important to train, this sport is developing and you always need to make progress in your training to compete at the highest level.

Who was the sparring partner you learnt the most from? If you could steal one skill from another fighter what would you take and from whom?

Have a nice day!

I try to learn as much as possible from every sparring partner I have.

Swedes love their soccer. You have a favorite club?

I don't have a favourite team but I support Sweden everytime they play

Hi Alex! As an American fan, it can be difficult to get any information on foreign fighters from credible sources, so thank you so much for this AMA!

My question is, what is it about MMA that resonates so strongly with you, that it would have been such life-changing experience?. I know you credit the discipline, but is there more? Do you enjoy the competition? The controlled violence? The personal achievements?

I think to be at the highest level you can't train it as a hobby, you have to live MMA everyday and it made me who I am today.

Thanks for doing the AMA Alex, big fan of the UFC here. I love your striking game and my question is, what submission hold best describes your personality?

Guillotine. And thanks!

I've had the privilege to watch your young Allstars partner Oliver Enkamp fight and was thoroughly impressed. How far do you think he could go?

I think he can go all the way. He's young and willing to learn, he works very hard.

I saw you sparred with Viktor Pesta, what do you think about his fighting style and chances in Berlin and longterm?

I think he's a great fighter, very athletic guy and when it comes to competing he really goes for it. He will win in Berlin!

1. How do you feel about the idea of same-day weigh-ins for fights?
2. Were there any other sports you were pursuing outside of MMA?

I think the way we have it today is the best way to do it. I've always done boxing

What does your weight get up to in between camps? Also, how hard is the weight cut for you?

Around 230-235lbs and the weight cut is easy

What is your typical post-weight cut meal?

I try to eat healthy as possible. Carbs, vitamins, electrolites

Hej Alexander!

What's your favourite food to bulk on?

Grandma's food.

Man, always wanted to ask. After your fighting days are over, will you have your ears cosmetically repaired, or live the rest of your life with cauliflower ears?

I'm proud of them, it means I've gone through some tough battles :-)