Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports
That was fast.
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight title contender, Alexander Gustafsson, retired from mixed martial arts (MMA) in the wake of his submission loss to Anthony Smith back in June, the second straight defeat for “The Mauler” after Jon Jones finished him in late 2018.
But shortly after calling it quits, the towering Swede once again felt the itch to compete, something not uncommon in combat sports fighters (like this former two-division champion) who retire young.
“I’m talking with the UFC, we are going back and forth,” Gustafsson (18-6) told MMA Viking. “I was home for a couple days, and I had itching in my hands and wanted to get back and train. I just want to train and get into shape. A fight against Luke (Rockhold) would be a great way to come back. He is a tough guy, a legend.”
Like Gustafsson, Rockhold (16-5) is coming off two straight defeats, including his UFC 239 knockout loss to Jan Blachowicz back in July. It was the first fight at 205 pounds for the former middleweight champion, who recently moved up in weight.
If and when the 32 year-old “Mauler” does return to the Octagon, he’s likely to shoot for early 2020, considering he’s currently clomping around Sweden as a heavyweight. Unless, of course, the promotion wants him to stay there for this potential rematch.