Alexander Gustafsson will remain at heavyweight for his next bout.
Gustafsson (18-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) is expected to meet Ben Rothwell (39-14 MMA, 9-8 UFC) on May 21 at UFC Fight Night, which doesn’t yet have a publicly known venue or location.
Two people with knowledge of the situation confirmed the targeted booking to MMA Junkie after an initial report by Frontkick Online. The people requested anonymity since the UFC has yet to make an announcement.
Gustafsson, a three-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger, came out of retirement in July 2020 but was quickly submitted by Fabricio Werdum in his heavyweight debut. He was then booked to face Paul Craig back down in his original weight class at UFC Fight Night 191, but he withdrew due to injury. The 35-year-old has decided against a return to 205 pounds and will take on longtime heavyweight contender Rothwell.
Rothwell has split his past four appearances. After submitting Chris Barnett in May, the 53-fight veteran was stopped in the first round by Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC Fight Night 197 in November.
With the addition, the UFC Fight Night on May 21 lineup includes:
- Felipe Colares vs. Chase Hooper
- Alexander Gustafsson vs. Ben Rothwell
