What Should the UFC Do Now with Alexander Gustafsson?

The Mauler has known better days.

Alexander Gustafsson finds himself at loose ends after Saturday’s first-round TKO loss to Anthony Johnson at UFC on Fox 14. Once thought to be among the biggest threats to light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, he now faces a long road to rebuilding his standing in the fight company’s marquee division.

It’s been a precipitous drop for a guy who appeared on the verge of winning the gold for 20-odd minutes at UFC 165, back in September 2013. But at 28 years old, he’s obviously far from done.

Here are the most likely places matchmakers will look to find Gustafsson his next fight.

Daniel Cormier

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Cormier saw his veil of invincibility unceremoniously dropped by Jones as UFC 182. That said, he’s still considered among the division’s elite and is the obvious choice for Gustafsson’s next opponent.

Pros

Aside from Jones-Johnson, this is the best matchup the light heavyweight division can muster right now. Despite their recent losses, Cormier and Gustafsson are both A-list players, and the winner of this bout would be right back near the front of the contender crowd. It’s a lights-out Fox Sports 1 main event or—in a pinch—maybe even an emergency pay-per-view headliner.

Cons

One of the top fighters in the division would find himself staring down the barrel of back-to-back losses. In a division as shallow as 205 pounds, would it be better to give both Gustafsson and Cormier winnable comeback fights to allow them to rehabilitate their respective images?

Verdict: It’s old school, best-against-the-best UFC matchmaking at its finest. If everybody’s healthy—book it.

Rashad Evans

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Evans has been idle since a November 2013 victory over Chael Sonnen. He was originally scheduled to fight Glover Teixeira in February until Teixeria pulled out with an injury. That leaves Evans in need of something to do.

Pros

Evans’ return in a high-profile fight would add a shot of excitement to a division that sometimes feels like Jones and then everybody else. For as much press as Gustafsson has gotten, his resume is kind of shockingly light on top-five competition, too. It would be a good test for both men.

Cons

Scheduling could be a bugaboo. Gustafsson’s swollen left eye is looking nasty, and it’s possible Evans will want a fight before he’s able to return.

Verdict: It’s a more viable, if somewhat less sexy, idea than Gustafsson-Cormier. If it works out for the principles, it’d be fine. Better than fine.

Phil Davis (Or Even Ryan Bader?)

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Davis lost to Bader by split decision on Saturday. If either of these guys means to shed their status as an also-ran, they’ll need a signature win over a top-level opponent. Gustafsson fits the bill to a tee.

Pros

A Davis bout comes with a storyline preloaded: Gustafsson lost to him way back at UFC 112, when it seemed like the former Penn State wrestler was the blue-chip prospect of that pairing. On the other hand, Bader has won four straight and will have to fight somebody in the top five next.

Cons

It doesn’t really leap on the page, does it? After Davis and Bader stunk up the joint at UFC on Fox 14, it’s tough to imagine either guy’s next move being a winner with fans.

Verdict: After Cormier, this could be Gustafsson’s next most likely option. Personally? I’ll pass.

Ovince St. Preux

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St. Preux shapes up as a wild-card next opponent for Gustafsson. After a win over Mauricio Rua in November 2014, however, he’s cracked the light heavyweight Top 10 and should be gunning for a marquee matchup.

Pros

It’d be the sort of out-of-the-box surprise matchup that the UFC sometimes loves to spring on fans. Athletically, it’d be sort of interesting, too, and would give us a good read on whether the talented but still developing OSP will ever be a factor.

Cons

Probably not the most marketable fight in the world. It would feel like a significant step back for Gustafsson, not to mention a flying leap forward for St. Preux.

Verdict: I don’t hate it as much as I probably should. The Internet might grumble, but it sounds like fun to me.

Glover Teixeira

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Teixeira is at loose ends after pulling out of his scheduled fight with Evans. He’d make for a crowd-pleasing matchup of styles with Gustafsson.

Pros

It’d be a slugfest. If matchmakers are looking for someone who will stand in front of Gustafsson and play Rock'em Sock'em Robots, Teixeira is their guy. It also seems like an easy win for the Swede, which could be exactly what he needs right now.

Cons

Teixeira’s stock has cooled considerably since his UFC 172 salad days, when the UFC tried to sell him as the biggest threat yet to Jones’ title. At 35 years old on the heels of a second straight loss (to Davis) at UFC 179, I’m not sure he belongs among the elite anymore.

Verdict: Meh.

Winner of Rampage Jackson vs. Fabio Maldonado

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Q-Jack is back! Maybe. So long as the courts don’t intervene, he’ll fight Maldonado at UFC 186. The winner should be in the mix for a top-level matchup.

Pros

Assuming Jackson gets past the eminently hittable Maldonado, a bout with Gustafsson would no doubt draw a sizeable rating on cable television. If it’s Maldonado? Maybe not so much, but it’d sure be a fun fight.

Cons

Well, a judge might still have to step in and decide if Jackson is allowed to drop everything and just walk away from his contract with Bellator MMA. It’s possible the popular but long-in-the-tooth former champion won’t be fighting anybody inside the Octagon anytime soon.

Verdict: Probably best to take a wait-and-see approach to all things Rampage Jackson in the UFC.

Wild-Card Pick: Vitor Belfort

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Assuming Belfort doesn’t beat Chris Weidman at UFC 184, his middleweight run could be tapped out. We know he’s not afraid to jump up in weight and fight the best at 205 pounds.

Pros

Who wouldn’t want to watch Gustafsson scrap with the Young Dinosaur? Belfort is a former 205-pound champion and will continue to be a big draw, even if he’ll never recapture the magic of three straight head-kick knockout wins during 2013.

Cons

Maybe a little bit too crazy? We have no idea what a post-TRT Belfort will look like so forecasting a return to light heavyweight might be wishful thinking, no matter what happens against Weidman.

Verdict: Probably not possible. But we can dream, darn it, we can dream.