UFC welterweight prospect Andreas Gustafsson left his opponent exhausted after three rounds of mauling at UFC 316.
Andreas Gustafsson had two scheduled opponents pull out of his UFC debut bout last weekend at UFC Vegas 107. One week later, Gustafsson emerged as a household name by demolishing a UFC welterweight fan favorite at UFC 316.
Gustafsson and Khaos Williams helped kick things off during the UFC 316 prelims in Newark. After a brutal finish on Dana White’s Contender Series last year to earn a UFC contract, Gustafsson’s promotional debut was pushed back a week after withdrawals by Jeremiah Wells and Trevin Giles ahead of UFC Vegas 107.
Despite preparing for three different opponents, Gustafsson made the most of a days’ notice booking at UFC 316 by smashing Williams for 15 minutes.
Andreas Gustafsson runs through Khaos Williams in dominant debut on the UFC 316 prelims
Just seconds after referee Mike Beltran signaled the start of the fight, Gustafsson marched forward with reckless abandon and threw early bombs at Williams. The two welterweights had a competitive Round 1, with both fighters having their moments early on.
After the first round, it was one-way traffic for Gustafsson.
Gustafsson mixed it up beautifully in Rounds 2 and 3, landing brutal clinch strikes and overwhelming Williams with pace and pressure. Williams was visibly fatigued at the end of the second round as Gustafsson stifled him on the feet and ground.
In the third round, Gustafsson poured it on with nasty elbows after landing a big takedown. He nearly finished Williams in the closing minute by opening up a nasty gash on his opponent’s face and controlling his back.
After three rounds of dominance, Gustafsson walked away with a unanimous decision win in his UFC debut, adding another intriguing name into the UFC welterweight division.
Andreas Gustafsson’s long-awaited UFC debut was well worth the wait
It was a long road for Gustafsson to get to his promotional debut at UFC 316. In January, Gustafsson was supposed to make his UFC debut against Preston Parsons before withdrawing due to an injury.
Gustafsson was then scheduled to fight Wells at UFC Vegas 107 last Saturday, before Wells withdrew on a week’s notice due to injury. Giles then stepped in to fill for Wells, but was forced to pull out of the fight after suffering a head injury while cutting weight.
The 34-year-old Gustafsson is in the middle of his physical prime and has amassed a four-fight win streak, including a 10-second knockout at FCR 18 in 2023. As he looks ahead to what’s next in the UFC Octagon, don’t expect Gustafsson to take a long hiatus from competition as he continues to move closer to a Top 15 spot.
Bloody Elbow has you covered with all the latest news and notes from UFC 316.
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