Under slutet av förra månaden nåddes vi av den tråkiga nyheten att Alexander Gustafsson blivit tvungen till att hoppa av den tilltänkta titelmatchen mot Jon Jones, då han skadat knät. Här kan ni läsa vad Alexander hade att säga om skadan, hur han tror att matchen mellan Jones och inhopparen Daniel Cormier kommer att gå och sina framtidsplaner, via ”The MMA Hour”:
[It’s] not serious at all. It’s actually one of the easiest knee injuries you could have. It’s a very easy operation, it takes maybe 15-20 minutes. The recovery time is just a few weeks, and you can walk home from the surgery. It’s not a big deal at all. The thing is, it’s one of those things where it’s a small problem that can get very big if you don’t do anything about it.
For me to have a 10-12 week camp against Jones, I need to be 100 percent. I can’t go into that cage knowing that something is hurting. I need to be 100 percent. We decided that I needed to have that operation.
No disrespect to DC, I think he’s a very great opponent and a great athlete, I think he’s a very tough fighter and a hard-working guy, but I believe Jones will win the fight. I’m actually hoping that he will win the fight because if I’m going to take the belt from anybody I want it to be Jones.
I see myself fighting Jones. That’s what I want. Nothing else. That’s what I want. I’m not saying anything else, and I’m really, really hoping that I get my chance. I will do my operation, and I’ll have my few weeks of rehab, and I’m going to come back stronger than ever. When my knee is healed, I’m going to be 100 percent. I’m going to be better than ever. I’m really hoping that I get my title. I want my title.
It was very hard for me, [the Jones’ rematch was] something that I’ve wanted so long. Everyone wanted to see that fight. I wanted to have that fight again. That’s the only fight I’m thinking about, even today. I want to fight Jones again for the title. I know I can beat him. I know I have the tools to beat him. I know I can take that belt. So it was very hard for me not having that fight.
Istället för Alexander blir det Cormier som får möta lätt tungviktsmästaren Jones, och de går match vid UFC 178 den 27 september i Las Vegas.
