5 fighters who opened up new international markets for the UFC

#4. Alexander Gustafsson – former UFC light heavyweight title challenger (Sweden)

Alexander Gustafsson helped to transform Sweden into an MMA hotbed

A decade or so ago, nobody would ever have considered Sweden a hotbed of MMA or for the UFC. However, that all changed when Alexander Gustafsson began to rise to prominence in the light heavyweight division.

When he debuted in the octagon at UFC 105 with a knockout of Jared Hamman, few fans expected ‘The Mauler’ to climb up into title contention. However, after a loss to Phil Davis in his second UFC appearance, Gustafsson began to split his training camp between the Sweden-based All Stars gym and the California-based Alliance MMA.

Suddenly, Gustafsson began to improve rapidly. After picking up four wins in a row, it was clear that he was beginning to catch on as a potential star. The UFC decided to get behind him and in April 2012, booked their first ever show in Sweden, with ‘The Mauler’ headlining against Thiago Silva.

At the time, the show became the UFC’s fastest-selling European event, with tickets selling out in three hours and over 15000 fans packing into Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe to see Gustafsson beat his Brazilian foe.

While Gustafsson fell short in his three attempts to win the UFC light heavyweight title, he continued to be one of the UFC’s go-to stars in Europe, particularly in his home country of Sweden. ‘The Mauler’ headlined four of the UFC’s visits to the Scandinavian country, drawing over $9.25m in combined ticket revenue.

More to the point, his impact is still being felt in the UFC today, with his All Stars team now producing newer stars such as current welterweight sensation Khamzat Chimaev.

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#3. Conor McGregor – former UFC lightweight & featherweight champion (Ireland)

Conor McGregor became the UFC's biggest star, but took off first in his native Ireland

Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the UFC’s biggest star of all time. ‘The Notorious’ has headlined the majority of the promotion’s highest-drawing events over the years and has been responsible for drawing millions of dollars alongside opponents like Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov.

However, his biggest impact was in his home country of Ireland, despite the fact that he has only headlined one UFC show there. McGregor debuted in the UFC in 2013 and instantly shot to fame following his first appearance, largely thanks to his brash and outspoken persona.

The UFC sensed a potential superstar and immediately began to push McGregor in the Irish market, first by giving him a big fight in Boston, a hotbed for Irish-American fans. By 2014, McGregor was firmly positioned as one of the promotion’s breakout stars and it came as no surprise to see him headline the UFC’s second show in Dublin.

Unlike UFC 93, though, the McGregor vs. Brandao card drew a raucous crowd, all of whom appeared to be there to see ‘The Notorious’ megastar. McGregor naturally obliged by destroying the Brazilian.

In his post-fight promo, McGregor stated Irish fighters weren’t "here to take part, (we’re) here to take over!” The statement went down in history.

While no Irish fighter has managed to replicate McGregor’s UFC success just yet, it’s safe to say that without him, the promotion’s presence on the Emerald Isle would be far smaller.