MMA Viking interviews Alexander Gustafsson who headlines the first UFC in Sweden on April 14. The top prospect looks to put his name in the hat as a real challenger to the title as he looks for a win in his first headlining bout.

“This will be a quick fight. It’s going to be a good fight for the fans and an entertaining fight.”

Gustafsson seems ready to capture the opportunity after a successful training camp in Las Vegas, and finishing up his preparations at Nexus Fight Center just a few train stops away from the Ericsson Globe Arena. He immediately responds “This will be a quick fight” when asked about a prediction for the bout against Thiago Silva.

MMA Viking delves into a much debated topic at MMA Viking about how big Gustafsson actually gets when he’s not fighting. He dispels the rumor that he gets up to 240lbs, saying “that’s a little too much… around 230 is my natural weight.” He also doesn’t see heavyweight as an option in the short term future, saying “I’m a lightweight for now.”

“Sweden” and “The Swedish Assassin” are names commonly used by Alliance teammate Dominick “The Dominator” Cruz when discussing Gustafsson. When I ask the 6’5″ Swede about possibly adopting a new nickname given by Dominick, he says “That’s just Dom. I’m not even sure he knows my name.” he says with a smile. The Swede goes on to state that he is happy with the Mauler, and says “I’m going to stay with it”.

“Absolutely” says Gustafsson when responding to a future opportunity to be a TUF coach. “I’ve been watching it on TV for years, and to see it live was amazing” exclaimes the Swede who recently joined Team Alliance in Vegas during the tapings of the current season. He continues to complement the title holder, saying “He shows me a lot of great stuff, and he’s been helping me a lot.”

“A single leg” responds Gustafsson would be my thing if he were to compete in a pure wrestling match. “I would put his leg up, and finish with a sweep” laughs the boxer, who has been developing his grappling skills. “I don’t know, I’m not a wrestler”.

AS for a gameplan, Gustafsson doesn’t have anything specific in his plans. “You have to be adaptable. I focus on my game plan and listen to my coaches.”

When asked about any other fight on the card he would want to watch he says “I look forward to seeing everyone fight. It’s going to be a full jackpot, we are all going to win.”

Stay tuned to MMAViking.com for more exclusive interviews.