Rashad Evans interested in fight with Alexander Gustafsson next

Rashad Evans has absolutely no designs on a drop in competition for his next fight.

The former UFC light heavyweight champion is interested in a crack at Alexander Gustafsson, Ariel Helwani reported Wednesday on UFC Tonight.

"We both lost our fights," Evans told Helwani. "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 and Gustafsson were supposed to fight back in January before Evans reinjured his knee. Both men are coming off defeats now. Gustafsson fell to Daniel Cormier in a light heavyweight title fight by split decision at UFC 192 earlier this month and Evans lost on the same card to Ryan Bader.

Gustafsson's manager Tomas Ghassemi told Helwani that the big Swede does not mind the fight, but "they have to handle a few things first and then decide about the next fight."

Evans (19-4-1) had not fought since November 2013 before the Bader loss. He had won four of six before tearing his ACL. The 36-year-old Blackzilians product only has losses in his career to Lyoto Machida, Jon Jones, Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and now Bader.

Gustafsson (16-4) is perhaps best known for taking Jones to the very limit in a title fight in September 2013. The 28-year-old has lost three of his last four fights, albeit all against elite 205-pounders.