Alexander Gustafsson has broken his silence.
Gustafsson was scheduled to meet Volkan Oezdemir at UFC 227 on Aug. 4. “No Time” was forced off the card due to a broken nose. The search was underway for a replacement opponent. Anthony Smith made short work of Mauricio “Shogun” Rua this past Sunday (July 22). Moments after Smith called out Gustafsson, news broke that “The Mauler” was out of UFC 227 with an injury.
In a statement, Gustafsson’s management said they want their fighter to compete for a title upon his return. This drew heavy criticism from fans and the media. Even two-division champion Daniel Cormier sent a message to Gustafsson, making it clear that the two won’t be fighting again.
During a recent appearance on the Ariel Helwani MMA Show, “The Mauler” spoke on his minor injury (via MMAMania.com):
“All I can tell you is that I have been very frustrated these couple of days. It’s like it doesn’t go my way really. It’s just crazy, man, I don’t want to talk about my injury now. It’s just a minor injury, nothing to talk about really, it’s just a (expletive) thing. It gets on my nerves but it is what it is. I did all I could, everything in my power to bounce back and I will in a couple of weeks.”
Gustafsson hasn’t competed since May 2017. He defeated Glover Teixeira via fifth-round knockout. He’s been inactive since and has been calling for a title opportunity. Gustafsson is 0-2 in title bouts and has gone 2-2 in his last four outings. Cormier is due for a big money fight against Brock Lesnar next year. He recently accepted Corey Anderson’s challenge for a light heavyweight title shot. Cormier plans on retiring by March 2019, which would leave Gustafsson in the dust until “DC” walks away.
Does Alexander Gustafsson deserve a title shot?
