UFC light-heavyweight Alexander Gustafsson still believes he would beat Anthony Johnson on most occasions.
Just a few months ago, Alexander Gustafsson went from perennial contender in the light-heavyweight division, to being on the wrong end of a TKO loss in front of 30,000 loyal supporters in Stockholm, Sweden.
While aware that this is part of the sport he chose to compete in, Gustafsson is adamant that he can beat Anthony Johnson.
"I win over Anthony Johnson six out of seven days," Gustafsson told Swedish MMA (h/t MMAFighting.com). "But, the only thing that wasn't supposed to happen, happened. One day you are on the top, the other day you're on the bottom. That's how it works."
Scheduled to face Glover Teixeira in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Berlin in June, Gustafsson admits that he didn't really learn much from his loss to Johnson, except to defend himself at all times.
"I hadn't time to show my potential. The fight didn't last long. But I learned to have a better defense. Keep your hands up and your chin down and to be ready for anything. You can't relax, even for a millisecond in this sport. Because that's what happened, the fight was fast."
A devastating loss in front of the second largest crowd in UFC history could signal the end of a fighter's days at the top of the game, mainly due to the confidence deterioration they experience in the aftermath. Aware of this possibility, Gustafsson revealed that he focused on the maintenance of his emotions, as well as his mental fortitude.
"There's not much you can say about that fight. He hit me and he hit me good. Sometimes that's enough. I try to face my demons. You have that doubt and lack of self-confidence. You feel that you're not good enough to be the best in the world and that's the hardest thing about it all, something you have to go through and process. I know I have potential to be the best in the world. It's just a damn setback when you lose like this."
Transcription taken from MMAFighting.com.
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