UFC on Fuel TV 9 Update: Gustafsson-Mousasi Headliner Approved for 5 Rounds in Sweden

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Sweden will host a five-round mixed martial arts contest for the first time in the country’s history when Alexander Gustafsson faces Gegard Mousasi in the main event of UFC on Fuel TV 9.

Sherdog.com confirmed the development with Swedish Mixed Martial Arts Federation officials on Friday following an initial report from MMAnytt.se. The SMMAF recently requested and received special permission from the Martial Arts Delegation at the County Board of Orebro to sanction Gustafsson and Mousasi for a 25-minute contest.

UFC on Fuel TV 9 takes place at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm and will also feature Brad Pickett and Mike Easton in a bantamweight affair. The April 6 event marks the second time the UFC has hosted a show on Swedish soil. The promotion’s first effort came 10 months ago at UFC on Fuel TV 2, which saw Gustafsson outpoint Thiago Silva in a three-round main event.

Regarded as one of the sport’s brightest prospects, Gustafsson, 26, rides a six-fight winning streak into his clash with Mousasi. Following his victory over Silva, the Swede returned to the cage in December to face former champion Mauricio Rua, taking a unanimous decision over “Shogun” at UFC on Fox 5.

One year older than his upcoming foe, Mousasi has not lost since 2010, when he relinquished his Strikeforce title to Muhammed Lawal. Since that setback, “The Dreamcatcher” has posted five victories and a draw, most recently submitting Mike Kyle with a rear-naked choke at Strikeforce’s final show on Jan. 12.