UFC Sweden: April 6th Card Brings High-Octane Action
The April 6, 2013 event at Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe was promoted as the organization’s return to Sweden and ultimately took place with Mousasi vs. Latifi as the main event. The card mixed established names with the Octagon debut of Conor McGregor, but a late injury changed the headline bout. The official event results page records Gegard Mousasi defeating Ilir Latifi by unanimous decision in the main event, with all three judges scoring it 30-27.
Alexander Gustafsson and Mousasi had originally been announced for the five-round main event. That plan changed during fight week: Gustafsson was not cleared to compete after suffering a cut in training, and his Swedish teammate Latifi stepped in on short notice. The promotion’s April 2 announcement confirmed the replacement and changed the bout to three rounds. The official event announcement preserves the original matchup, while the final results show how the night actually unfolded.
Mousasi handled the change in opponent and earned a clear decision over Latifi. The three identical 30-27 cards gave the Dutch fighter the win after 15 minutes. Latifi, taking the opportunity on short notice in front of a home crowd, went the distance in his promotional debut. The matchup became a different test from the one advertised: instead of Gustafsson’s high-profile striking contest, Mousasi faced a compact Swedish wrestler with only days to prepare.
Ross Pearson and Ryan Couture met in the lightweight co-main event. Pearson stopped Couture with punches at 3:45 of the second round, according to the official fight results. Heavyweight Matt Mitrione needed only 19 seconds to knock out Phil De Fries. Brad Pickett and Mike Easton produced a close three-round bantamweight fight; Pickett took a split decision and both men received Fight of the Night honors. Diego Brandao also finished Pablo Garza, submitting him by arm-triangle choke at 3:27 of the opening round.
One of the card’s most remembered moments came earlier, when McGregor made his promotional debut against Marcus Brimage. McGregor won by first-round TKO at 1:07, a result that earned him Knockout of the Night. The official post-event bonus recap also named Reza Madadi’s third-round D’Arce choke of Michael Johnson as Submission of the Night. Those performances gave the event several distinct talking points beyond the changed main event.
The McGregor-Brimage bout lasted 67 seconds. The promotion’s post-fight account says McGregor hurt Brimage with a punch, then followed with ground strikes until the referee stopped the contest. That finish became a milestone in McGregor’s career, but on the evening it was one of several quick stoppages. Pearson’s second-round TKO and Mitrione’s 19-second knockout contrasted with the full-distance main event and the close split decision between Pickett and Easton.
Looking back, the Stockholm card is best understood through both its final lineup and its original promotion. Gustafsson versus Mousasi generated the initial anticipation, but Latifi’s short-notice opportunity became the main event, while Pearson, Pickett, Brandao and McGregor supplied the finishes and close action lower on the card. The official event page provides the complete results, and the full McGregor–Brimage fight remains available from the promotion.
The embedded clip below features highlights from the official weigh-in before the event, including several of the fighters who competed in Stockholm.
