A heavyweight showdown between former UFC title challenger Alexander Gustafsson and Ben Rothwell is targeted for May 21.
The news of the targeted matchup was first reported by Frontkick.
Gustafsson will make his heavyweight return after nearly two years away from the sport. He lost fought against former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum at UFC Fight Island 3 via first-round submission.
Gustafsson announced his retirement from MMA following back-to-back losses at light heavyweight against Jon Jones and Anthony Smith. He quickly walked back on his previous retirement plans for a move to heavyweight.
Gustafsson also teased a potential move back to light heavyweight in 2021, but his planned fight against Paul Craig was called off due to an undisclosed injury.
Rothwell has won three of his last five fights but most recently got knocked out by Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC Vegas 42. Before that, he had picked up impressive wins over the likes of Stefan Struve and Ovince St. Preux.
Gustafsson made his UFC debut at light heavyweight at UFC 105, earning a first-round knockout over Jared Hamman. He would go on a run of six-straight wins before a controversial loss to Jones at UFC 165 for the 205-pound belt.
Despite the setback, Gustafsson remained in the light heavyweight title picture and would eventually earn a rematch with Jones at UFC 232. This time, it was a less competitive fight as Jones finished him in the third round.
It’s unclear how many fights Gustafsson has on his current UFC contract, but he’s looking to potentially earn one last run at a UFC title before his career comes to a close. As for Rothwell, he’s looking to prove that he remains a dangerous contender in the division.
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