Niklas lives (lived?) in a horder like home that has been described as "the most disgusting thing ever" by out of town training partners who's (very briefly) lived with him. When guys says they "eat, sleep and train" they usually really don't, Niklas truly does. He moved from his home in the deep north as a teen and turned up at a gym in south of Sweden, no cash in his pockets and no place live. They threw him in with the big guys and he got beat up but still wanted to fight so they let him hang around.
He's considered by many to be a bigger talent than Gustafsson and dominated world sambo champ Sergej Grecicho on one weeks short notice back when he was 1/3 of the fighter he is today and with only 4 wins to his name. That win was both fortunate and unfortunate for his career because it basically meant it stalled. The only reason why it took him this long to get into the UFC is because no legit guys in Europe were willing to step up and fight him until german talent Max Coga came along and got kicked unconscious in 15 seconds.
He ragdolls LW Reza Madadi in training, a great fighter in his own right, who by most accounts went 3-0 in the UFC and has wins against Michael Johnson, a 15 lbs overweight Carlo Prater, Rich Clementi and Cristiano Marcello.
His teammates says he's got the best RNC in the world, a move he's perfected by sitting in front of the TV in his disgusting apartment practicing it on his knee all night. He's been doing this since he was a kid, basically. Niklas is obsessed and borderline psychotic.
And yes, it's only a matter of time before he's sniffing at the belt. Niinim
