After an brief holdup, April's UFC on FUEL TV 9 headliner between Alexander Gustafsson (15-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Gegard Mousasi (33-3-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) will go on as a five-rounder as originally planned.
Soon after the fight was made official, the Swedish MMA Federation (SMMAF) said the light-heavyweight bout wasn't approved for five rounds and needed special clearance.
The regulatory body has since announced approval, as mmanytt.se and kimura.se reported.
UFC on FUEL TV 9 takes place April 6 at Ericsson Globe Arena in Stockholm, and the main card airs on FUEL TV following Facebook prelims. UFC President Dana White recently said Gustafsson will get a title shot if victorious.
With the SMMAF's clearance, the Swedish fighter could now get could some needed five-round experience as he fights Mousasi, a recent Strikeforce import, in a potential 25-minute bout. If victorious, he could then meet either champion Jon Jones or challenger Chael Sonnen, who headline UFC 159 three weeks later.
SMMAF President George Sallfeldt stated he's pleased Gustafsson vs. Mousasi will be a five-rounder.
"However, it is important to remember that this decision does not mean that the overall match time for (all) MMA matches increases," he said.
The SMMAF also oversaw UFC on FUEL TV 2 in April 2012. That event marked the UFC's debut in Sweden.
Source: MMAJunkie.com