Alexander Gustafsson on MMA retirement: ‘It feels like I don’t have it in me anymore’

Bloodyelbow.com

Immediately after losing his headlining bout to Anthony Smith, Alexander Gustafsson said his good byes and left his gloves inside the Octagon. The Swede confirmed his retirement on the post-fight press conference, and says he feels like he doesn’t have it in him anymore.

“I’m feeling that it’s pretty much a done deal,” Gustafsson said (transcript via MMA Fighting). “If you don’t feel you have it in you anymore then it is what it is. I had three title fights and, like I said, it’s been a great journey. This is it.”

“I feel like I don’t do this for money or because of anything else,” Gustafsson said. “I do this because I want to be the best and beat the best and if I can’t do that then it is what it is. I lost to Jon and that was the third title fight and I felt like because I got a little bit of an injury in that fight and I didn’t get to show my capacity. So I had some hope in me still and I felt this Anthony Smith fight would be a great comeback and start climbing again. But now I lose to Anthony too. It feels like I don’t have it in me anymore. It’s like a confirmation to myself because I lost my three title fights.”

“I felt it’s an honorable way to tell the crowd and the audience here tonight that this a decision I made,” he said.

UFC✔@ufc

“The show is over, guys.”

Thank you, @AlexTheMauler. #UFCStockholm 16.2K 3:58 AM – Jun 2, 2019 3,815 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy

Gustafsson started his MMA career back in 2007, and joined the UFC in 2009. He went 10-6 in the promotion, and 18-6 overall. Apart from his memorable title bouts against Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier, Gustafsson has quality wins over the likes of Shogun Rua, Glover Teixeira, Thiago Silva, and Vladimir Matyushenko among others.