Gustafsson took off his gloves and placed them on the Octagon canvas while being interviewed by UFC commentator Dan Hardy after the loss, a signal that he was calling time on his decade-long UFC tenure.

"What can I say… The show is over, guys," the Swede said before walking away. 

Speaking to the ESPN+ post-fight show, Gustafsson confirmed his intensions, saying: "Yeah, I am. I’m done. It feels like I don’t have it in me anymore. I just have a feeling. It’s time now. I don’t want to be a journeyman."

The loss was a cruel one for Gustafsson who suffered the same result inside the same arena to Anthony Johnson in 2015 and, much like that January night four years ago, the partisan crowd inside the arena were stunned into silence. 

The defeat marks Gustafsson second straight after a third-round knockout defeat to Jon Jones in December and his fifth in his last eight fights.

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His spell with the company will be fondly remembered, however. His first bout with Jones all the way back in September 2013 is cited by many as being the most exciting championship fight in UFC history.

As such, Gustafsson will leave the UFC with more than a few admirers among fans and fighters alike.