Gus open to five possible fights before August, or will wait for DC
Alexander Gustafsson’s manager Nima Safapour told Shaun Al-Shatti for MMA Fighting that the Swede wants to fight before August, and that failing, will wait for Cormier.
When Yoel Romero missed weight for back to back title fights at 185, a move up became more or less inevitable. Because the UFC has yet to adopt sensible responses to the culture of extreme weight cutting, like adding a weight class between 185 and 205, that means a jump to light heavyweight.
UFC president Dana White even has a fight in mind – Alexander Gustafsson, with the winner getting a title shot. Current 205 champ Daniel Cormier is challenging heavyweight titleholder Stipe Miocic at UFC 226, but next fight would be a title defense at 205.
Gustafsson had planned to fight Luke Rockhold, but apparently the latter suffered one of those Aliens attacks, and the facehugger burst out of his leg.
https://twitter.com/arielhelwani/status/1006728484465643520
Gus’s manager Nima Safapour told Shaun Al-Shatti for MMA Fighting that the Swede wants to fight before August, and that failing, will wait for Cormier.
Gustafsson expressed interest in multiple fights pre-August including:
•Step in if either Volkan Oezdemir or Mauricio Rua are unable to fight in the headliner at UFC Fight Night 134 in Hamburg, Germany on July 22;
•Step in if either Cormier or Miocic are unable to fight in the headliner at UFC 226 in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 26; or,
•Fight Yoel Romero, with an if.
When Cormier’s AKA teammate Luke Rockhold suffered the leg injury, DC suggested Romero vs. Gus.
https://twitter.com/dc_mma/status/1005679539131826176
Gus is game, but noted Romero has to be ready on time. And he cautioned Cormier to not miss weight for heavyweight 🙂
