Three-time UFC title challenger Alexander Gustafsson retired in the octagon after a submission loss to Anthony Smith . Before a home crowd silenced by his loss, Gustafsson laid down his gloves, declaring “The show is over, guys.” Smith caught Gustafsson with a rear-naked choke in the fourth-round after a throw attempt failed. Gustafsson had nearly escaped from trouble when gravity forced him to the canvas, and several elbows opened a choke opportunity for Smith, who apologized to the crowd at Ericsson Globe in Stockholm, Sweden. The retirement might have been sudden, but it didn’t come entirely out of the blue. Upon booking the fight with Smith, Gustafsson said a loss to the recent title challenger could mean, “maybe I don’t have it anymore.” Gustafsson later walked back his remarks, saying he was still motivated to fight. But as he struggled to tear off his four-ounce gloves before UFC commentator Dan Hardy, the weight of the moment appeared to overwhelm him
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Alexander Gustafsson gives surprise retirement announcement after UFC Stockholm loss – MMA Junkie