Alexander Gustafsson snubs Anthony Johnson, who responds in kind

UFC light heavyweight contender Alexander Gustafsson has heard Anthony Johnson‘s request to fight, and for now, the answer is no.

Gustafsson (16-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) recently told Swedish tabloid Expressen that Johnson(18-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) isn’t qualified to fight him just yet and needs more wins to earn the opportunity.

“We are not in the playground anymore,” he said. “It’s not about who is the toughest. … I want to keep (fighting for) a long time to come. You have to think tactically, and so you can’t just go in and (fight) the first opponent.”

Despite UFC President Dana White’s opinion that a fight between the two light heavyweights “makes sense,” Gustafsson is reportedly eyeing a title shot in Sweden, which was discussed as a location for a title rematch with Jon Jones (20-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) before the champ nixed the idea and then went into contract negotiations that produced a date in Las Vegas.

Johnson, meanwhile, isn’t too pleased with Gustafsson’s reaction to his respectful callout on Facebook.

“What did I just read? Gus must’ve bumped his head,” Johnson said. “I respect his opinion but one thing is this. I left the playground a long time ago, I’m on the BATTLEFIELD now!”

After a knee injury forced Gustafsson to withdraw from this month’s UFC 178 event, Jones was rebooked to fight rival Daniel Cormier (15-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC). Then, a Jones knee injury prompted the promotion to postpone the matchup to UFC 182.

Gustafsson’s future has been up in the air since he was passed over a second time for the belt. He was expected to rematch Jones earlier this year before the champ decided to fight Glover Teixeira in April at UFC 172.

Expressen reported that Gustafsson is ready to wait three years to fight Jones in his home country and has received assurances from UFC executive Lorenzo Fertitta that he’ll get the chance if he waits for the outcome of Jones vs. Cormier.

He added that the UFC is considering an event at the 50,000-seat Friends Arena in Stockholm for next summer.

“If it is so that they guarantee me a title match in Sweden … I can wait three years,” Gustafsson said. “Then it does not matter.”

What does matter to the Swede, however, is maximizing his career opportunities by fighting the most notable opponents. Right now, he said, that list doesn’t include Johnson.

“Had that fight taken me somewhere I had been the first to accept,” he said. “Since (Johnson’s) return to the UFC after being kicked out, he has beaten Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who passed his expiration date a long time ago, and Phil Davis. He needs at least a couple (of more wins).”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.