Alexander Gustafsson Claims He’s in Talks with UFC: ‘We Are Going Back and Forth’
All signs continue to point toward a short-lived retirement for Alexander Gustafsson.
Advertisement
Retirements in MMA don’t always stick, and Gustafsson already seems restless in just a few months away from active competition. Earlier this summer, “The Mauler” claimed that he was "far from a retired fighter.” The former light heavyweight title challenger seems to have taken things a bit further since then, alluding to what could be negotiations for a UFC return.
“I am talking with the UFC,” Gustafsson recently told
MMA Viking. “We are going back and forth.”
Gustafsson took his hiatus after losing to Jon Jones in a 205-pound title bout at UFC 232 and then falling to Smith in June for his second consecutive defeat. The Allstars Training Center representative admitted that it didn’t take long for him to feel the urge to fight again.
“It came quite fast… I was home for a couple days, and I had itching in my hands and wanted to get back and train,” he said.
Gustafsson told MMA Viking that he currently weights between 240 and 245 pounds. A matchup with Luke Rockhold, the former UFC middleweight champion who was knocked out by Jan Blachowicz in his 205-pound debut, would be appealing to the Swedish star.
“I just want to train and get into shape. Let’s see how it goes,” Gustafsson said.
“A fight against Luke would be a great way to come back. He is a tough guy, a legend.”
Gustafsson lost four of his last six bouts within the Octagon and was finished in three of those defeats. Regarded as one of the top light heavyweights in the world during much of his UFC tenure, Gustafsson went 0-3 in title bouts within the Las Vegas-based promotion.
