Hamill has never been finished like that in his career (other than the Jon Jones fight, in which Jones was disqualified for illegal blows), and Gustafsson just took a giant leap forward in the light heavyweight division. Hamill was a late replacement for Vladimir Matyushenko. The fight was the second bout on the Spike TV portion of the broadcast.
What was the high spot of this fight?
Undoubtedly the finishing sequence, where Gustafsson crumpled Hamill to the mat with punches, then stepped over into the mount and dropped bombs on him until the fight was mercifully brought to an end.
Where do these guys go from here?
The sky is the limit for Gustafsson. Despite a loss on his record to uber-prospect Phil Davis, The Mauler has quickly established himself as an emerging threat at 205. His next fight will depend on how quickly the UFC wants to bring him along, but the originally scheduled opponent Vladimir Matyushenko would make sense if he's not going to be out for too long.
Hamill went from five wins in a row (one was the DQ win over Jones) to looking lethargic and confused in his bout with Quinton Jackson at UFC 130. After this knockout loss, he is on the hotseat in a tough division and the UFC is in a precarious position. Hamill is a popular fighter and could very well be given a lower-level opponent to get back on track. But they might throw him in the fire and see if he's still worth it as well. My suggestion is a bout with Fabio Maldonado.
Watch it now, later, or never?
Now. Gustafsson is going to be near the top of the heap and light heavyweight division for years to come, and you should take the time to watch how he masterfully picked apart Hamill before ruining his world late in the second round.
More BE coverage of UFC 133 in the full entry.
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort's Illegal Finish Met With Shocking Ignorance - Leland Roling
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort's Back of the Head Shots and Nonsensical Outrage - KJ Gould
UFC 133 Results: Five Fights to Make - Mike Fagan
UFC 133: Why We Love Tito Ortiz, and Why the UFC Needs Him - Fraser Coffeen
UFC 133 Results: Where Do We Go From Here? - Matthew Roth
UFC 133: The Sweet Stench of Homophobia - Mike Fagan
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans' Beats Up Tito Ortiz and More Post-Hangover Thoughts - Brent Brookhouse
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans vs. Tito Ortiz Post-Fight Recap and Analysis - Mike Fagan
UFC 133 Results: Rashad Evans Stops Tito Ortiz by Punishment - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Vitor Belfort Stops Yoshihiro Akiyama in the First - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Brian Ebersole Beats the Pants off of Dennis Hallman - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Constantinos Philippou Scores a Split Decision Over Jorge Rivera - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Rory MacDonald Pounds Mike Pyle to a First Round Stoppage - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Alexander Gustafsson Mauls Matt Hamill in the Second - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Chad Mendes Puts On A Clinic Against Rani Yahya - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Ivan Menjivar Edges a Decision Over Nick Pace - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Johny Hendricks Wins the Wrestling Match against Mike Pierce - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Mike Brown Outwrestles Nam Phan to a Decision Win - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Results: Rafael Natal Punishes Paul Bradley to a Decision Win - Bloody Elbow
UFC 133 Post-Fight Press Conference Video and Updates - Bloody Elbow