Daniel Cormier Blast Alexander Gustafsson After UFC 227 Withdrawal
Alexander Gustafsson’s opponent Volkan Oezdemir pulled out from the scheduled bout at UFC 227 due to broken nose earlier this week that left “The Mauler” without dancing partner. He was in search of a replacement. It seems like he found one in the face of rising challenger Anthony Smith who called out ‘The Mauler’ following his scintillating first-round knockout of Shogun Rua at UFC Hamburg. It was after the callout, news emerged that Swedish star Alexander Gustafsson pulled out of UFC 227 PPV event on August 4th due to undisclosed minor injury.
Many believe that’s a kind of behavior to dodge the fight.
In the midst of Sunday’s event, two-division champion Daniel Cormier slams delusional Gustafsson for repeated title shot call outs. ‘DC’ seems so mad that he went on to say, they wouldn’t fight again.
”Dear Alex, I don’t know what happened to you going back to the Rockhold situation,” Cormier wrote on Twitter. “You have always been a stand up guy but your behavior changed. From calling a guy out the day after he got knocked out, to now offering to fight me knowing I have a broken hand after Volkan couldn’t go. Now you’ve turned down Jan, turned down Khalil, all while calling for a heavyweight title fight. Now moments after Anthony Smith does his work like an animal you decide you’re hurt.”
”Man, I respect you as a fighter. I will always be grateful for October 2015, buy you and I won’t share the octagon again. I am disappointed in who you’ve become. You are so entitled, man, I can’t deal with delusional people. Good luck recovering. Our time has passed. See you from the commentary table.”
@AlexTheMauler pic.twitter.com/yVcYZH11G0
— Daniel Cormier (@dc_mma) July 23, 2018
Gustafsson has been vocal for his demand for another shot at Cormier’s light heavyweight belt. Both have met previously at UFC 192 where Cormier won the bout via split-decision back in October 2015.
Cormier declares already he will retire after his 40th birthday on March 20th and open to having two fight. After winning the heavyweight title, Cormier called out Brock Lesnar, who is currently under USADA testing pool and eligible to return to UFC by early next year. So Cormier probably has a date with Lesnar next year. Then Cormier teased to defend his 205-pound belt, he named Shogun Rua, but Smith had other ideas.
Gustafsson teased he will move up to heavyweight to fight with Cormier for a belt; now this idea seems dead following his recent behavior. ‘The Mauler’ last competed back in 2017, where he scores a fifth-round knockout of Glover Teixeira in May 2017.
There were reports that Gustafsson was agreed to fight Khalil Rountree Jr. at UFC 227, but UFC doctors reportedly told him to play it safe. Looks like he lost both opportunities for a title fight at heavyweight and light heavyweight against DC.
According to sources, Gustafsson was actually removed from 227 on Friday. He had agreed to Rountree contingent on doctor’s approval but then he wasn’t medically cleared. Prior to Rountree he asked for DC at heavyweight but DC has a broken hand.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 22, 2018
This behavior isn’t likely to help him get a title shot next.
