WATCH a single mixed martial arts fight and you will be hooked for life - that is the simple promise made by Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star Alexander Gustafsson.

The Swede points to the growing popularity of the sport, which brings together martial arts exponents with backgrounds such as karate and wrestling in unarmed combat, as the reason for it to be inducted into the Olympics one day.

He told The Straits Times: "People need to realise that MMA is not as bad as it looks. There's a lot of tactics and thinking behind it, so give it a chance before you judge it."

The 26-year-old Stockholm resident is in Singapore this week for UFC promotional activities ahead of the company's first show here in January.

Gustafsson, who narrowly lost to UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones in September, added: "I can't wait to get back in the ring and work towards getting my hands on the belt sometime soon."