Alexander Gustafsson at HW.

Wood Stick

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We've always talked about Jon Jones moving up, but what about Alexander Gustafsson? He's 6'5, while skinny, I think his style could work very very well at HW. He would be the most mobile HW, and has some of the bst striking in the division. Add in his ability to move, his speed advantage, how well could he do? We've seen Stipe against slower great strikers in Mark Hunt but I think Gustafsson could take it to the next level there.

Personally I think a bulk would defeat the purpose but a couple lbs could be nice. A match-up vs Stipe would intrigue the hell out of me. Keep in mind Stipe was TKO'd by Struve.
 

MD thaivuN

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a Gus that turns his back and runs is probably a bad fit at HW. It's just asking for Gus to get KTFO by Stipe who's essentially fought that style in his last two fights with JDS and Overeem
 

dss97

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We've always talked about Jon Jones moving up, but what about Alexander Gustafsson? He's 6'5, while skinny, I think his style could work very very well at HW. He would be the most mobile HW, and has some of the bst striking in the division. Add in his ability to move, his speed advantage, how well could he do? We've seen Stipe against slower great strikers in Mark Hunt but I think Gustafsson could take it to the next level there.

Personally I think a bulk would defeat the purpose but a couple lbs could be nice. A match-up vs Stipe would intrigue the hell out of me. Keep in mind Stipe was TKO'd by Struve.

Why do people keep saying this as if it matters? So long ago man.

Rumble got submitted by Josh Koscheck. Didn't stop him from starching both Gus and Glover.
 

m9

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Why do people keep saying this as if it matters? So long ago man.

Rumble got submitted by Josh Koscheck. Didn't stop him from starching both Gus and Glover.

Because when you have a fighter doing well, people will try to figure out potential ways to beat him. If he can't take Struve's punches, it's a viable question how he might hold up against some of the guys that can actually hit.

Everyone already knows Rumble sucks on the ground and it's his weakness.

As for Gus at HW.. why? LHW is extremely weak right now and the only two guys in front of him are an old, fat guy and another guy that can't stay clean. I don't think he's nearly strong enough to compete at HW, anyway. Does he cut a lot to get to 205?
 

MD thaivuN

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Because when you have a fighter doing well, people will try to figure out potential ways to beat him. If he can't take Struve's punches, it's a viable question how he might hold up against some of the guys that can actually hit.

It's a viable question if he didn't face, you know, Mark Hunt, JDS, Overeem.

JDS tested that chin for five rounds in their first fight
 

m9

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It's a viable question if he didn't face, you know, Mark Hunt, JDS, Overeem.

JDS tested that chin for five rounds in their first fight

True, poor wording by me. I just meant that there is no other narrative working against Miocic right now, so that KO by Struve is all that people can really look to as a path to victory. Similar to how people questioned GSP's mental game and chin after Serra knocked him out.

But hey, it's HW. Miocic will probably get knocked out within his next few fights, then people can talk about his chin again.
 

dss97

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Because when you have a fighter doing well, people will try to figure out potential ways to beat him. If he can't take Struve's punches, it's a viable question how he might hold up against some of the guys that can actually hit.

Everyone already knows Rumble sucks on the ground and it's his weakness.

As for Gus at HW.. why? LHW is extremely weak right now and the only two guys in front of him are an old, fat guy and another guy that can't stay clean. I don't think he's nearly strong enough to compete at HW, anyway. Does he cut a lot to get to 205?

Struve can't hit? The guy is 7 feet tall and 250 lbs, his hands are probably lunchboxes. Admittedly he's not the most graceful fighter on the roster, but he has plenty of finishes due to strikes in the UFC. Stipe has eaten some pretty heavy shots from JDS and Overeem and survived, his chin isn't a weakness relative to other heavyweights.
 

jw2

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Gus's good performances are few and far between since 2011. Lacks the consistency to hang with the top HWs . He's lucky to be around during an incredibly weak LHW division.
 

kurt

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I think Cormier is much better suited for HW, assuming he doesn't retire and loses to Jones again (though who knows with Jones' long layoff).

Gus's good performances are few and far between since 2011. Lacks the consistency to hang with the top HWs . He's lucky to be around during an incredibly weak LHW division.

That's a statement that's also true for most HWs. Outside of guys like Stipe and Werdum, guys have been pretty streaky and overall the division is pretty shoddy.

I think he would do fine.
 

m9

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Struve can't hit? The guy is 7 feet tall and 250 lbs, his hands are probably lunchboxes. Admittedly he's not the most graceful fighter on the roster, but he has plenty of finishes due to strikes in the UFC. Stipe has eaten some pretty heavy shots from JDS and Overeem and survived, his chin isn't a weakness relative to other heavyweights.

He's not a hard hitter compared to other UFC HW's.
 

Blue Line Turnover

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Some fighters obviously perform better when fighting closer to their natural body weight; Rumble being a clear example. One of my best friends is a KOTC titleholder and said that he is able to fend off a choke better(and, of course, eat punches easier) when he is fighting at his natural weight class.
 

Jasper

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Struve's punches and definitely his knees and kicks hurt people a lot when he lands. Gus is a more technical fighter. I really don't think Jones let alone Gus would do well against huge guys in HW where there's a good chance they'll be going to the ground at some point in a fight.
 

MD thaivuN

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Struve's punches and definitely his knees and kicks hurt people a lot when he lands. Gus is a more technical fighter. I really don't think Jones let alone Gus would do well against huge guys in HW where there's a good chance they'll be going to the ground at some point in a fight.

the Grappling is not really issue, because there' not that many good wrestlers or grapplers at heavyweight. It's really not a grappler's division at all. Both Gus and Jones are real legit good wrestlers. The real importance is whether or not the striking style would work in the division. I would believe Jones would be fine at Heavyweight, whereas Gus would likely get KTFO'd
 

Jasper

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the Grappling is not really issue, because there' not that many good wrestlers or grapplers at heavyweight. It's really not a grappler's division at all. Both Gus and Jones are real legit good wrestlers. The real importance is whether or not the striking style would work in the division. I would believe Jones would be fine at Heavyweight, whereas Gus would likely get KTFO'd
Agreed. There's nothing I'd like more in the UFC than Jones going up to HW. It would be really god damn interesting to see what he could do there.
 

Vagrant

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He gets hit with too much volume. While a really good chin can apologize that away a bit in the LHW division, it simply isn't going to work out against HW fighters.
 

kurt

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He gets hit with too much volume. While a really good chin can apologize that away a bit in the LHW division, it simply isn't going to work out against HW fighters.

Maybe so, but heavyweight fighters generally aren't as fast, and aren't typically volume strikers. I think he would get hit far less often at HW.
 

Sheppy

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Maybe so, but heavyweight fighters generally aren't as fast, and aren't typically volume strikers. I think he would get hit far less often at HW.

He might get hit less but he will get hit much harder, that's for sure.
 

kurt

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He might get hit less but he will get hit much harder, that's for sure.

Absolutely - which is why nobody except Fedor has ever been able to string together a significant amount of wins at HW.

But that said, his speed would be much more of an advantage at HW too, making him harder to get hit. I don't think the step from LHW to HW is overly consequential for some fighters (Cormier and Johnson especially). I think Gus would do just fine up there.
 

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