On two occasions, three-time UFC title challenger Alexander Gustafsson called his decision to retire final. On the third, he said it was “pretty much a done deal.”
Whether or not that opens a window to change his mind, Gustafsson (18-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC) is grappling with a submission loss to Anthony Smith (32-14 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and can’t see any reason to continue.
“I feel deep inside that I’ve been training hard,” he told reporters at the post-event press conference for UFC on ESPN+ 11, which took place at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. “I was so ready for this fight. I was so ready and calm, and it was still was not enough.
“So I don’t know what to do. If I don’t have that feeling in me, then there’s no point for me to continue.”
Gustafsson thanked the UFC for giving him the life he currently leads as a family man, homeowner and ambassador for Swedish MMA. He said he’ll forver remember a pair of wins over Thiago Silva and Glover Teixeira, respectively at the Ericsson Globe.
“So it’s been a great journey,” he said.
After his fourth loss in six tries, Gustafsson said the journey is over. He said had he beaten Smith, he wouldn’t have retired. An injury suffered in a second fight left him feeling like he hadn’t shown his potential, and he figured Smith would put him on the comeback trial.
“But now I lost to Anthony, too, so it feels like I don’t have it in me anymore,” he said. “It feels like a confirmation to me.”
And for Gustafsson, there’s no reason to continue if he can’t beat the best fighters in the world.
“I don’t do this for the money,” he said on the ESPN+ post-show. “I do this because I want to beat the best, and be the best. If I can’t do that, it is what it is. I don’t want to be a journeyman. I don’t want to do this because I get paid. I want to do this because I love it, and I want to be at the top.”
As for what’s next, Gustafsson said he’ll sit down with his team and figure out his next step. He’s a majority owner in a gym and could easily tranisition into coaching. But now, he’d like some time to clear his head.
It’s been a long journey, after all.
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