Alexander Gustafsson reportedly wants to face Ovince Saint Preux after Ben Rothwell's UFC release

Alexander Gustafsson is reportedly eyeing a matchup against Ovince Saint Preux after Ben Rothwell was released by the UFC.

Gustafsson was scheduled to face Rothwell in a heavyweight showdown on May 21st. It would have been 'The Mauler's' highly anticipated comeback from his 2020 retirement. Due to the development, however, he is left without a dance partner.

MMA Fighting reported that Rothwell's release was confirmed by UFC officials after the algorithm-based Twitter account UFC Roster Watch tweeted that the 13-year veteran was removed from the online rankings. Ariel Helwani shared more details on social media, writing:

"With Ben Rothwell out [and subsequently released from UFC], Alexander Gustafsson’s team tells me they want OSP now."

Check out the tweet below:

The report caught the attention of one 'OSP', who was quick to reply on Twitter. However, it wasn't the response Gustafsson and his team were hoping for. Saint Preux reminded them that he's no longer available for a fight in May.

Saint Preux is scheduled to face another returning legend, Mauricio 'Shogun' Rua, at UFC 274 on May 7. It will be a rematch of their UFC Fight Night 56 clash in 2014, which saw Saint Preux win via a first-round TKO.

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Alexander Gustafsson comments on his UFC comeback

Alexander Gustafsson revealed at the beginning of 2022 that he isn't done fighting yet. A multi-time UFC light heavyweight title challenger, the Swede called quits on his career after suffering a third consecutive loss against Fabricio Werdum.

After taking nearly two years off, Gustafsson appears to be rejuvenated and is ready to resume his cage-fighting career. In a previous interview with ESPN MMA, Gustafsson said:

"Let’s see what is going on. We’re talking to the UFC a lot. I wanna fight. I wanna fight early this year, and basically take it from there. I wanna make up for the Werdum fight. I feel like I didn’t really get into that fight… I feel like I need to do stuff, take a fight, and take one fight at a time. I wanna fight early this year to just get in there and have fun. Take one win at a time."

Check out Gustafsson's interview below: