“I will continue as long as I know I have the potential to be the best. If there comes a day where I feel I can not go any further than this, that day I stop. Then I put the gloves on the shelf. But I feel that there’s more to achieve. I know I can be better. I know I have the potential to beat ‘DC’. I know I can beat Jon Jones… I do not want to be a journeyman. I do not want to be a fighter that people should beat to get a title fight. I do not want to be in fights where people see me as an obstacle on the road. I want to be the man challenging. I’m not satisfied with being ranked second and third. I’m such a self-critic, that I find it hard to give myself credit for something. Sure, it was a good fight against DC. It was a good fight against Jones, but I didn’t win. So that is not a good fight. It is not enough that I’ve put Sweden on the map. I’ve heard a hundred times how good that was. I appreciate what people say to me and that they give me credit. But for me personally, it’s not enough. I want to go all the way… We’ll see what the future looks like now. I spoke to Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta on Friday. ‘Big plans,’ was all they said. We’ll see what they have to offer. I am 28 and I see myself involved with this a few more years. I want to go some more years.”
-Alexander Gustafsson talks to Swedish outlet Allehanda about his continued goals for his MMA future (translated by BloodyElbow.com).
Penick’s Analysis: The awful part for Gustafsson is the split decision nature of both fights. He feels he had an argument for both fights (more so in the fight with Cormier I believe with that knock down and his case for three rounds), but with a mark in the loss column from both, on top of a KO loss to Anthony Johnson in January, he’s got a much, much longer path to another shot. Now, the path is still there, so if that’s what he needs to drive him, he’ll use it, but he’s still got a long way to go. If there’s another setback, based on his comments here, that could be the end for him in the sport.
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