Former UFC light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson was initially set to be featured on the exciting fight card for UFC 227. However, it would appear that the talented mixed martial artist has since been removed from the fight card.
Gustafsson was initially set to face off against Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 227. However, Oezdemir pulled out of the fight earlier this week after suffering an injury. The live pay-per-view event goes down Saturday, Aug. 4, from within the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Reports have since claimed that Gustafsson has also been removed from the match up after having suffered an injury. Speaking to MMA Fighting, Gustafsson’s manager Nima Safapour has since offered some details on the scenario.
“Alex Gustafsson is out of UFC 227 with a minor injury. The injury occurred last week. Since that time, we have been working closely with the UFC doctors, our doctors in Sweden, and the experts at the UFC Performance Institute. We have been advised that Alex has a minor injury and he will not be permitted to compete at UFC 227. Had Alex been fit to fight, we were prepared to face Roundtree or anyone else the UFC had asked us; including DC Cormier at heavyweight.
Alex will be fighting again very soon. He will give his side of the story shortly. We don’t care who the opponent is. But whomever we face it should be for the meaningful result of the LHW UFC Title.”
Gustafsson’s management team later offered a follow up statement to MMA Fighting. Check it out below.
“Doctors pulled Alex from the card last Friday. Days before Anthony was to compete. Before that we were trying to stay on the card. Assuming we could get cleared, we were prepared to face anyone. We assumed it would be Rountree as he was ready fight, and we were told Jan would fight at another time. We also offered to fight DC at heavyweight if he was healthy. So Alex was prepared to face anyone, ranked or unranked. But the doctor’s said he was unfit to compete.
“It was determined last Friday he would not be on the card. Days before the Smith contest.”
