This Week’s MMA Birthdays: ‘The Mauler’ Turns 27

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Entrenched as one of MMA’s premier light heavyweights, Alexander Gustafsson will celebrate his 27th birthday on Jan. 15.

Gustafsson has compiled a 7-2 record since arriving in the Ultimate Fighting Championship in November 2009. The Alliance MMA representative last fought at UFC 165 in September, when he battled light heavyweight champion Jon Jones for five rounds before losing a contentious unanimous decision at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. The defeat halted a six-fight winning streak for “The Mauler.” A potent finisher, Gustafsson has secured 12 of his 15 professional victories by knockout, technical knockout or submission. Wins over 2005 Pride Fighting Championships middleweight grand prix winner Mauricio Rua, former International Fight League champion Vladimir Matyushenko, American Top Team’s Thiago Silva and Australian slugger James Te Huna anchor his resume.

The 6-foot-4 Gustafsson will lock horns with the unbeaten Jimi Manuwa in the UFC Fight Night 37 main event on March 8 at the 02 Arena in London.

Those in MMA celebrating a birthday during the week covering Jan. 12-Jan. 18:

JAN. 12

Ikuhisa Minowa (38)
Young Bok Gil (29)

JAN. 13

George Allen (47)
Leigh Remedios (38)
Justin Hawes (35)
Dennis Siver (35)

JAN. 14

Matt Riddle (28)

JAN. 15

Alexandre Franca Nogueira (36)
Nobuhiro Obiya (33)
Yuki Nishigo (29)
Andrew Craig (28)
Efrain Escudero (28)
Alexander Gustafsson (27)
Michael McDonald (23)

JAN. 16

Paul Buentello (40)
Hyun Gyu Lim (29)

JAN. 17

Gary Goodridge (48)
Dusan Dzakic (27)
Alexander Sarnavskiy (25)

JAN. 18

Neil Grove (43)
Jeff Monson (43)
Yoshikazu Fujiishi (36)
Luis Ramos (33)
Miguel Torres (33)
Marcin Held (22)

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