Alexander Gustafsson’s popularity went through the roof on Saturday night due to his stunning display of both skill and heart against Jon Jones, but he also endeared himself to fight fans all around the world with his humble attitude after narrowly missing out on the chance to claim one of the biggest upsets in the history of the sport.
In his post-fight interview on FOX Sports 1 he indicated that while he was disappointed by the judges decision, he understood why they had awarded Jones the win.
“He’s the champion for a reason,” Gustafsson said. “To take the belt from the champ you need to finish him. That’s the reason. I didn’t do it, so I didn’t get the belt.”
Gustafsson plans on doing so the next time they fight, and if he gets his way then an opportunity to do so will come as quickly as possible.
“I wanna rematch right away if I can. You know, it’s up to the UFC, I’m just blessed to be fighting in the UFC. It’s an honor to fight Jones and I will be ready whenever they call me.”
The good news for Gustafsson’s fans is that despite a trip to the hospital after the fight he picked up no serious injuries during the five round encounter, and as things stand UFC president Dana White appears to be favoring the idea of a rematch, potentially during Superbowl Weekend next February.
Watch his full interview below.
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