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Five Nordic UFC moments we will never forget!
Nordic UFC moments. Photo via USA Today Sports and UFC
Nordic MMA has become a significant force in the UFC, with fighters from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland producing some of the most spectacular knockouts and unforgettable title fights in the promotion’s history.
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Let’s take a closer look at some of the finest Nordic UFC moments ever!
5. Gunnar Nelson’s destruction of Alex Oliveira
Gunnar Nelson. Photo via Instagram (@gunninelson)
In December 2018, Iceland’s Gunnar Nelson left a lasting mark on Alex Oliveira in one of the bloodiest fights ever witnessed inside the octagon.
Nelson opened a horrific cut in Oliveira’s forehead before winning the fight via a rear-naked choke in round two. What a performance!
4. Makwan Amirkhani’s crazy UFC debut
Makwan ”Mr. Finland” Amirkhani. Photo: Per Häljestam – USA TODAY Sports samt Instagram
One of the craziest UFC debuts of all time went down in 2015 as Finland’s Makwan Amirkhani took on Andy Ogle in front of 30,000 fans at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm.
Amirkhani burst out of his corner and jumped into a ferocious flying knee, demolishing Ogle with a single, devastating strike. The referee was forced to stop the action after only eight seconds. Talk about making a statement in your debut!
3. Jack Hermansson’s back-to-back wins
Jack Hermansson. Photo: Per Häljestam-USA TODAY Sports
In March 2019, Swedish-Norwegian Jack ”The Joker” Hermansson already had seven fights in the world’s leading MMA promotion, but was yet to cement his position as a top fighter in the middleweight division.
However, two quick wins would completely change the direction of Hermansson’s pro career.
On March 30, he squared off with MMA veteran David Branch and just needed 49 seconds to stop the reputable fighter. This victory made the fans go wild and earned Hermansson the Performance of the Night award.
The red-hot Swede made a swift return to action on April 27, stepping in as a late replacement for the injured Yoel Romero to take on former Strikeforce middleweight champ Ronaldo ”Jacare” Souza.
The Brazilian was a two-time black belt BJJ World Champion and a complete nightmare on the ground. Hermansson, however, was the one who dominated on the ground and racked up three takedowns, which is more than any other fighter has scored against Souza, and was even extremely close to finishing the fight early via submission. The Swede also landed 256 strikes which nearly doubled the output of Souza.
After the final bell, Hermansson stood as the winner with scorecards reading 49–45, 48–47, and 48–47 and catapulted himself into the top 5 of the stacked division.
2. Khamzat’s 10 first days
Nordic UFC moments. Photo: Johnathon Michael/Frontkick.online
Few, if any, fighters have made as explosive an entrance as Khamzat Chimaev did during the summer of 2020.
In just ten days, he went from a complete unknown to a global MMA star as he set a new record for the shortest time between modern-era UFC wins.
On July 16 he smashed John Phillips into pulp before submitting him with a brabo choke in the second round. Ten days later, he took on Rhys McKee who didn’t stand a chance against Chimaev’s barrage of strikes. The referee had no choice but to stop the contest midway through the first round, and the rest, as they say, is history.
1. Gustafsson pushed Jones to his limits
Alexander Gustafsson and Jon Jones. Photo: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
After securing eight victories in nine UFC bouts, Gustafsson finally earned a title shot against light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in September 2013. Despite being heavily underestimated, Gustafsson proved to be the most dangerous challenger Jones had ever faced.
The Swede did not only become the first fighter to successfully take Jones down, he even opened a big cut above Jones’ right eye.
Ultimately, Jones emerged victorious via a debated unanimous decision with scorecards reading 48-47, 48-47 and 49-46. However, many fans and analysts believed Gustafsson deserved the victory, feeling he had been unjustly denied the championship.
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