Report: Gegard Mousasi Signs With Bellator MMA
Top-ranked middleweight Gegard Mousasi’s contract with the UFC ran out after his controversial UFC 208 win over Chris Weidman, and it was unknown if “The Dreamcatcher” would re-sign with the notoriously stingy biggest MMA outfit in the world.
With a huge fight potentially looming in the octagon, however, it appears that Mousasi did not take too kindly to the UFC’s offer. Mousasi has signed with Bellator MMA according to a report from Chamatkar Sandu:
I'm hearing from a reliable source that Gegard Mousasi has signed with Bellator MMA. It's one source but I'm trying to get confirmation now.
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) July 10, 2017
The news broke early on Monday, just two days after Robert Whittaker won the interim title in Mousasi’s very own middleweight division.
Also adding a trail of breadcrumbs to this conclusion is that Mousasi was a frequent and vocal detractor of many aspects of the UFC. Couple that with a solid working relationship with Bellator’s president Scott Coker (Mousasi was Coker’s light heavyweight champion for a while under the Strikeforce banner), and there you have it.
Bellator has certainly picked up the best fighter in all of their transactions with the UFC. Fights with Hisaki Kato, Rafael Carvalho, Rory MacDonald, or even Bellator’s top 205-pounders have some serious intrigue, so there is no lack of talent for Mousasi to prey upon as he begins this new chapter in his long and well-traveled mixed martial arts career.
Mousasi is currently riding an impressive five fight win streak, with finishes over Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Uriah Hall, and Thiago Santos, and boasts a 42-6 MMA record at his relatively young age of 31.
Who are you excited to see Mousasi fight in his Bellator debut? Does he remain at middleweight, or does he try his luck again back at 205 pounds?
