We knew that the Rumble Johnson loss was tough for Alexander Gustafsson but no one knew that it almost caused him to retire from MMA.
Gus spoke with a Swedish news outlet and let them know that retirement was a real possibility for him after taking that loss in his home country:
“It has definitely been my most difficult period in life so far,” Gustafsson told Swedish newspaper Expressen. “I was completely serious about quitting MMA. I don’t care really about the title, it was that it happened in front of my home crowd. My cousins were in place. It just took it too hard. I didn’t have the will to continue. I was really close to quitting. But I have received so much love from fans, loved ones and my team.”
It would’ve been a shame if Alex would’ve went off on that note. He’s still given Jon Jones the toughest fight of his career and he has the talent to receive another title shot in the future.
Check out the KO that almost led to Gustafsson’s retirement: