Alexander Gustafsson | UFC Betting Sites - The Best MMA Online Bookies

Alexander Gustafsson Says Retirement Was Because He Was Heartbroken, Is ‘Here To Stay’

A number of emotions led to Alexander Gustafsson’s premature retirement last year. Gustafsson returns to action at UFC Fight Island 3 this weekend when he makes his heavyweight debut against Fabricio Werdum. It will be his first taste of action since getting submitted by Anthony Smith in the UFC Stockholm headliner in June last year. […]

A number of emotions led to Alexander Gustafsson’s premature retirement last year.

Gustafsson returns to action at UFC Fight Island 3 this weekend when he makes his heavyweight debut against Fabricio Werdum.

It will be his first taste of action since getting submitted by Anthony Smith in the UFC Stockholm headliner in June last year. Following the loss — his second in a row — the “Mauler” would shockingly announce his retirement in the post-fight interview.

Of course, he would have a change of heart a couple of months later before revealing that a comeback was in the works. So what led to the retirement in the first place?

“It was an emotional moment. Nothing else,” Gustafsson told MMA Fighting on media day. “I was just heartbroken. It was a tough fight. It was in Stockholm. It was against a guy I know I’ve got the tools to beat but I didn’t obviously.

“It was a tough night and my emotions and thoughts were just chaos in my head.”

Gustafsson Taking Fights One At A Time

Things are much better now for Gustafsson who will be looking for a change in fortune at heavyweight.

It’s a move he felt the timing was right for and he believes a win over a former champion in Werdum is the perfect way to truly announce his return.

“I’ll challenge myself and see how it goes,” Gustafsson said. “I will win of course but let’s see how I feel about it.

“He’s a legend of the sport. He’s a former champion. It’s a perfect way to come back. I’ll beat Werdum on Saturday and then we’ll take the next one.”

If Gustafsson performs well and gets a win, it wouldn’t be surprising if he soon started targeting the heavyweight title. After all, he notably failed to win the light heavyweight title on three occasions.

However, he is taking things one fight at a time.

“I’m here to win my fights,” Gustafsson added. “Just take it from there. Where I’m in a situation where I can touch the belt, then we’ll go for the belt.

“Right now, it’s just one fight at a time. I’m fighting Werdum, I’ll beat Werdum on Saturday then we’ll take the next one. I’m here to stay.”

Do you think Gustafsson can become a future heavyweight champion?

Alexander Gustafsson Says ‘Emotional Moment’ Caused Premature Retirement

Alexander Gustafsson says his decision to retire was more so spur of the moment and he’s happy to be back. Gustafsson is set to return to action on July 25. He’ll take on Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight fight. “The Mauler” was …

The post Alexander Gustafsson Says ‘Emotional Moment’ Caused Premature Retirement appeared first on MMA News.

Alexander Gustafsson Says He’s ‘Here to Stay’ After ‘Emotional’ UFC Retirement

Alexander Gustafsson opened up about his abrupt retirement following his defeat to Anthony Smith in June 2019. ” It was an emotional moment. Nothing else,” Gustafsson said of the decision, per MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin …

Fabricio Werdum Recounts Heated Sparring Session With Alexander Gustafsson

There may be some bad blood going into the Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson fight on July 25. Gustafsson makes his heavyweight debut against Werdum in the final Fight Island event taking place this month. It won’t be the first time they have locked horns either, as Gustafsson recently revealed they had an intense sparring […]

There may be some bad blood going into the Fabricio Werdum vs. Alexander Gustafsson fight on July 25.

Gustafsson makes his heavyweight debut against Werdum in the final Fight Island event taking place this month.

It won’t be the first time they have locked horns either, as Gustafsson recently revealed they had an intense sparring session back in the day which the Swede claimed to have won. “The Mauler” added it was intense as Werdum came with knees to the head but claimed he enjoyed it looking back.

While Werdum confirmed he used his knees on Gustafsson, by his account, the latter was not pleased at all.

“It happened around eight years ago when I went to train wrestling at Mark Munoz’s academy,” Werdum told Sherdog. “When I arrived there, Travis Browne and Gustafsson were doing an MMA sparring session coordinated by his trainer, who invited me to join them. I imagined the trainer would do some kind of rotation sparring, but he put me in the middle with both coming in sequence.

“Of course it was not fair. First I did it with Browne, later with Gustafsson and again with Browne and again with Gustafsson. In that second sparring session, Gustafsson opened a cut on my nose, then I grabbed his neck in a Thai clinch and hit a knee in his face, which opened a big cut. I imagine he got around five stitches in there. Of course, Gustafsson and his trainer got angry with me, said a couple of bad words and the sparring didn’t finish in a good atmosphere.

“I don’t have a problem talking about tactics. Gustafsson knows I want to take him down and that’s no secret. And I’ll take him down and submit him. I live on the same street as Lyoto Machida, and he is helping me a lot concerning approach and distance for this fight.”

Expect A New Werdum

As Gustafsson looks to kick off his heavyweight career with a bang, Werdum is looking to return to the win column again.

The Brazilian is on a two-fight losing streak, having most recently lost a split verdict to Aleksei Oleinik at UFC 249 in May in what was his first outing since March 2018.

The long layoff certainly contributed, but so did his training methods going into the Oleinik fight. Things, however, will be different for this fight.

“Last fight I not only felt my absence of two years away from the UFC Octagon, but also I made a totally wrong choice in training,” Werdum explained. “I went up to Big Bear Mountain, where I stayed for two months without sparring and just training via video. Definitely there is no way to train via the internet, and I felt that in my return.

“So this time I changed everything. I made a real camp with physical training, a lot of jiu-jitsu with master Rubens Cobrinha Charles, MMA with master Rafael Cordeiro, who also had me do a lot of sparring at Kings MMA. Also this time I worked my mind with Eric Faro, who was recommended by Cris Cyborg. The guy is doing a wonderful job with me concerning my focus. You will see a totally different Werdum on July 25. My self confidence is really high.”

How do you see Werdum vs. Gustafsson going?

Alexander Gustafsson Says UFC Heavyweight Move May Not Be Permanent

Alexander Gustafsson’s return UFC bout will be at heavyweight but he may not stay at that weight class. Gustafsson is set to collide with former UFC heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum on July 25. The bout will be featured on a UFC Fight Night c…

The post Alexander Gustafsson Says UFC Heavyweight Move May Not Be Permanent appeared first on MMA News.

John McCarthy: Jon Jones Would’ve Lost To Alexander Gustafsson If I Wasn’t Referee

The veteran referee turned popular podcaster John McCarthy claims UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones would have lost against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165 if he wasn’t the man in the middle. Jones and Gustafsson went to war in 2013 for five rounds. ‘Bones’ emerged victorious via unanimous decision on the night but things could have […]

Jones and Gustafsson went to war in 2013 for five rounds. ‘Bones’ emerged victorious via unanimous decision on the night but things could have been different if another referee was in charge, McCarthy explained on the Weighing In podcast.

“Let’s talk about it this way, Jon Jones thinks I hate him. He actually at one point you know he wanted to, it was before the Daniel Cormier fight I think, but he came out in the media and said he didn’t want me doing his fight. And it was because of the fight that he had with Vitor Belfort in Toronto, Canada. Where you know, there was kick thrown and stuff. But it’s ok that Jon feels like ok you know he doesn’t like me. Is it that I didn’t like Jon? No! I really did like Jon Jones. And I’ll be flat out honest. Jon would have lost his world title if I wasn’t doing his fight at UFC 165 when he fought Alexander Gustafsson. There is not another referee that would have told the doctor ‘No I am not stopping the fight’ and let him go out for the fifth round. And let that fight continue. Because referees are not going to put their career on the line for a fighter. So there going to say ‘you want it stopped?’ and then do this with there hands (motioning to stop the contest) and the fight is going to be over. Alexander Gustafsson is going to be the winner.”

Co-host on the podcast Josh Thomson asked the referee for more details, he said.

“When Jon Jones fought Alexander Gustafsson he got hit with a, I think it was a right hand that was on the right eye, in the first round and split his eye open. And he went through the fight, second round, third round, and then the cut got a little bit worse at the end of the third round. At the end of the fourth round the doctor came in and looked at me and he says ‘you know what I don’t like the way his eye is looking, I think we should stop the fight’. And I looked at it, and Jon had just won the fourth round. You know, came back because Alexander was winning it but then Jon came back and won and almost finished Alexander in that fourth round. He was the champion and he had been fighting with the eye the way it was for the entire fight. And never was he dabbing at it or anything. So I looked at him and I said ‘He just won that last round I don’t think we need to stop this fight’. He goes ‘I don’t like it’. So I said ‘I tell you what, we’re going to let the fight go on and if I see that cut change at all, I’ll stop the fight and bring you in’. Right. So he said ok and he (Jon Jones) goes out and I am thinking to myself I am never stopping this fight. Ok, because I am not going to take someone’s title based on a cut that.. you know, I know what bad cuts are and that wasn’t… I am not saying I am smarter than the doctor but when it comes to injuries in fights I am smarter than the doctor. Especially when it comes to cuts. So that’s how much I hated Jon Jones.”

Do you think John McCarthy should’ve stopped Jon Jones vs. Alexander Gustafsson?