A middleweight title fight between champ Gegard Mousasi and undefeated American Top Team standout Johnny Eblen is on track for June.
Mousasi (49-7-2) and Eblen (11-0) seemed destined to collide once the champ got by another American Top Team standout, Austin Vanderford, last month. The Dutch fighter later said he wanted to fight again soon, and it looks like he has his wish.
A source familiar with the situation confirmed the booking to Cageside Press on Tuesday, following an initial report by Ariel Helwani. While no specific date is in place, the fight is expected to top one of the promotion’s June cards.
Mousasi is currently on his second reign as middleweight champion in Bellator. He’s won four straight, and has defended the title twice in that span, against Vanderford and John Salter.
In his first run as champ in the promotion, Mousasi defended the title once before losing it to Rafael Lovato Jr., who was later forced to vacate the belt and retire due to a medical condition.
Eblen has been on the rise as a surging prospect at 185lbs. “The Human Cheat Code” has won seven fights under the Bellator MMA banner, and earlier this month captured a unanimous decision win over Salter.
Gegard Mousasi had previously claimed not to know who Eblen was, when asked about him as a possible title challenger — which may or may not have gotten under Eblen’s skin. The American later claimed he believed Mousasi was simply fighting for a paycheck at this point in his career.
