The former UFC light heavyweight title challenger signed with the GFL and was drafted by Team London in the promotion’s inaugural draft. But planned events to kick off the GFL season have been cancelled and Gustafsson has been left to ponder what might be next.
“I’ve been training, now I’m just waiting to see what they say and take it from there,” Gustafsson told Comeon Sports.
“I don’t know the status of the GFL, I’m just hoping they get it sorted.”
The GFL garnered plenty of attention for announcing the signing of dozens of big-name former UFC stars, including several former champions.
But after their draft event was criticised, and even mocked in some quarters, for their over-use of AI, thoughts turned to the promotion’s debut events, which were originally thought to take place in April, but were pushed back to the end of May. Those events were subsequently cancelled.
It left fighters like Gustafsson in limbo, and the Swedish star admitted that he isn’t sure what to think about the future of the promotion, and whether he’ll ever get the chance to fight in the GFL at all.
“Am I confident? I don’t actually know. Let’s see,” he said.
“I’ll be training. I’m in camp so I’ve been training but let’s see what’s next for GFL.”
One thing Gustafsson isn’t prepared to do is sit idly by and let the twilight of his MMA career burn out without getting back into the cage. And if that means fighting elsewhere, he said he’d listen to offers.
“Having said that, if anyone else gives me an opportunity to fight then I’m open to discussing it, let’s see what happens,” he said.
“With the GFL, I don’t know what the concept is really now, but they pay very well and I think it’s a great idea – if it can go ahead.”
One option could be a step into the world of bare-knuckle boxing, with BKFC rising to prominence and paying decent purses for their big-name fighters.
As a fighter who has always preferred to stand and throw, Gustafsson admitted he’s interested in the prospect, and revealed conversations have already been had between his team and BKFC officials about him potentially toeing the line in the future.
“I’m absolutely interested in fighting in BKFC,” he said.
“I’m in shape, let’s see what offer I get. I would talk it through with the team and see what the best move is.
“I haven’t personally spoken to BKFC or Conor McGregor, but there have been discussions within my team about it, I don’t have much to say on it.
“I’m just focusing on my training and whatever happens, happens. I’ll be ready for whatever we decide to do.
“Will I fight this year? Absolutely. I hope that if I get the right offer, I’ll be back, 100 percent.”
