Alexander Gustafsson reveals this will determine when he will be fighting again in the UFC

The last time we saw Alexander Gustafsson in the Octagon was back in October of last year when he fell short of becoming a UFC champion by one judges scorecard. Gustafsson fought a hard five-round fight with UFC light heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier that resulted in a split-decision in favor of Cormier.

Prior to the fight that he was on the verge of fulfilling his dreams, Gustafsson had to deal with the most devastating loss of his career when Anthony Johnson handed him his first TKO loss in just over two minutes of the very first round.

“The Mauler” recently spoke on the MMA Hour and revealed what his plans are for the future with some fans worried about his previous talks of retirement.

“I’m just having a tough time with my motivations. Some days it’s better, some days it’s a little bit worse.” explained Gustafsson (transcribed by MMA Mania). “I just tell my fans how it is and how it is to be a fighter on this level. That it’s always tough with losses, 2015 was a tough year for me.”

“I’ve been here before, it’s hard to go from going one day being the best fighters in the world to stop doing what you love doing,” he said. “I am a fighter and that’s what I live for. Quitting is not an option if you put the cards on the table. It’s just emotions, feelings, and thoughts that you battle everyday as an athlete.”

Going back to San Diego at Alliance MMA has been an attempt to find happiness in training, and says that there are a few things that will determine when he steps back into the Octagon.

“When I feel good in training, when I’m in peace and feel good in everything, we’re going to look for a new challenge,” declared “The Mauler,” who insists he was not offered a Rashad Evans fight.

“Until then, I am just going to enjoy the training. I will fight in 2016. I just need a little bit of time to get on my feet and get my mind and motivation right. I just want to fight for the right reasons. You will see me fight this year,” concluded Gustafsson.

Who would you like to see Gustafsson take on in his return to the Octagon? Share the potential matches you see for “The Mauler” in the comments!