Gustafsson gets honest
“I see myself as an elite athlete, but I feel it’s the time for the new generation,” Gustafsson said. “I feel like I’m not in my top game anymore. It was a while ago. In my opinion, the fighters who fight for the UFC need to be on their top level. It is the best level of fighting in the UFC. I’m not there anymore.
“I’m still training. I’m still doing my best in training, and I have a couple of fights left in me, but I’m not at the UFC level anymore.
“That’s how I feel. I’m real to myself. My teammates, my team is real to me. We have been discussing this for a long time. I don’t have the real fire anymore or the hunger.
“It was a decision to make, and I believe we made the right decision. And I feel good about it, too. I could have done another UFC fight, of course, but I feel a little bit of the pressure because you’re fighting for the best organization in the world.
“You need to deliver. I’m not competing to accept a loss. I feel I’m not able to deliver like I did many years before. You need to think about yourself, and also I’m not 25-28 anymore. I’m 38 years old.
“I have a life. I have a family. I’m not really worried about the damage you take in the fight. It’s more the training camps you have. I’ve done many training camps in my career, and the training camp leading up to the fight, you need to deliver on the highest level.
“It’s a little bit of pressure because you need to recover between sessions. There are many factors involved in the whole thing. That’s why we made the decision. We also have the GFL contract on the table, too. I have some other offers, too. I feel like I’m not going to do this for a very long time, so let’s make the best of it, and squeeze it out as much as possible. Then I’m done.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
