Alexander Gustafsson Doesn’t Regret Thinking About Retirement

UFC light heavyweight title contender Alexander Gustafsson is coming off the toughest loss of his career this past January to Anthony Johnson back at UFC on Fox 14. Gustafsson was knocked out in the first-round by Johnson in a fight that would’ve gotten him back in a championship bout.

Gustafsson was so shaken by the devastating knockout at UFC on FOX 14 that he contemplated retirement.

“I was supposed to win this fight, but I didn’t,” admitted Gustafsson. “I was thinking about that: To quit the sport. I was really depressed after the fight.”

Months later, Gustafsson stated that he does not regret thinking about a possible retirement.

“No, not at all,” Gustafsson said to Yahoo Sports. “It’s hard for me to look back at [and see] if I really would have done it. I said it in emotions. If I really felt it, I felt it at the time. But today, this is all I got. This is all I can do. I don’t know what else to do.”

“What am I supposed to do, not take the fight?” Gustafsson asked. “I don’t know what to say. There’s only one thing I can say: Everybody wants to be the champ. That’s why we do this: to put that gold around our waist. This is an opportunity, and I won’t turn down an opportunity like this – it doesn’t grow on trees.”

Alexander Gustafsson is set to fight light heavyweight champ Daniel Cormier at UFC 192.

Going into this fight, Gustafsson feels that he does not have pressure on himself, but rather Cormier is feeling the pressure.

“All the pressure is on him,” Gustafsson said. “He’s the champion; he’s got that belt. He’s fighting in front of his home crowd.”

UFC 192 takes place Saturday, October 3rd, 2015 at Houston’s Toyota Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.