Alexander Gustafsson out of retirement for Fabricio Werdum fight at heavyweight

Alexander Gustafsson is coming out of retirement, and he’s making a big career change for his comeback.

Gustafsson (18-6 MMA, 10-6 UFC), who fought for the UFC light heavyweight belt on three occasions before retiring in May 2019, will move up to the heavyweight division for his comeback. He draws a big fight for his debut, as he will fight former heavyweight champion Fabricio Werdum (23-9-1 MMA, 11-6 UFC).

MMA Junkie verified the matchup with a person close to the situation following an initial report from Brazilian news outlet Combate. It will take place July 25 on the UFC’s “Fight Island.”

Gustafsson hung up his gloves following a submission loss to Anthony Smith at UFC on ESPN+ 11. The event took place in his native Sweden, and after losing his long-anticipated title rematch with Jon Jones a few months prior, opted to walk away from the sport.

He returns with a fresh coat of paint against Werdum, though, who made an unsuccessful return from an 18-month U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) suspension at UFC 249 in May when he lost to Aleksei Oleinik. The Brazilian gets a rather quick turnaround for the clash with Gustafsson.

With the addition, the UFC’s July 25 lineup now includes:

• Darren Till vs. Robert Whittaker
• Antonio Rogerio Nogueira vs. Mauricio Rua
• Alexander Gustafsson vs. Fabricio Werdum