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Rashad Evans wants Alexander Gustafsson next

Published Oct. 28, 2015 8:31 p.m. ET

Damon Martin

Following a loss at UFC 192, Rashad Evans is looking to fight sooner rather than later, and he's targeting former title contender Alexander Gustafsson for his next trip to the Octagon.

Evans and Gustafsson have actually been scheduled to fight previously but injuries ultimately derailed the matchup from even happening. With both fighters now coming off losses, Evans believes it's the perfect time to make it finally happen.

"We both lost our fights. We both are struggling to stay at the top of the weight class and both are desperate for a win. We might as well fight each other," Evans told "UFC Tonight" on Wednesday.

Evans was on the shelf for nearly two years prior to his bout with Ryan Bader in early October, but now that he's healthy the former light heavyweight champion isn't wasting any time getting back on the horse after the recent setback.

As for Gustafsson, his manager Tomas Ghassemi says that they don't mind a fight with Evans at some point in the future, but for now "they have to handle a few things first and then decide about the next fight."

Gustafsson lost a five-round war with Daniel Cormier in the UFC 192 main event, which was the second time the Swedish fighter came up short when trying to tackle a light heavyweight championship.

UFC officials haven't weighed in on the matchup possibly coming together, but given where both fighters are in the division currently, it's a fight that makes sense for Evans and Gustafsson.

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