Mousasi wound up on the outs with the promotion after it was acquired by rival PFL last year. He had previously threatened legal action if his contract was not honored; subsequently, the promotion released the high-profile fighter.

News of Mousasi’s lawsuit was first reported by John S. Nash. The lawsuit targets Bellator Sports Worldwide LLC and New Bellator LLC (a subsidiary of the PFL), as well as PFL Founder Donn Davis, PFL CEO Peter Murray, matchmaker Mike Kogan, President of Fighter Operations Ray Sefo, PFL Executive Vice President Of Business Affairs Jim Branson, and PFL VP, Business Affairs & Deputy General Counsel George Pineda.

Among the claims put forward by Mousasi and his lawyers is that the PFL engaged in an “anti-competitive scheme to maintain and enhance their monsopony power.” A monsopony exists when a given market has only one buyer; the term has become well-known to MMA fans due to the ongoing UFC antitrust lawsuit, which claims the UFC has abused their monsopony status. Mousasi’s claim contends that the PFL and UFC are the only places elite MMA fighters can ply their trade, and will likely rely on the league scooping up Bellator as evidence thereof.

Whether that will fly considering it describes a duopoly (and leaves out options like ONE Championship, RIZIN, KSW, and Oktagon MMA, all of whom have provided lucrative alternatives to an albeit small, select number of fighters) remains to be seen. The suit also alleges breach of contract, however, claiming that the PFL attempted to renegotiate Mousasi’s deal after taking control of Bellator MMA.

According to the Statement of Claim filed by Mousasi and his lawyers, when the star’s manager reached out to the promoter seeking a fight, PFL’s Davis replied via email stating “I am aware of Gegard given his very high compensation. Given Gegard is not a PPV draw, and is not a Champion, his deal is very surprising. PFL is a fighter first league, so we respect and empower all fighters. If he desires to have opportunities here then I can have Mike Kogan reach out to you and work on options with you.”

Mousasi’s contract with Bellator, pre-existing the PFL’s purchase of the promotion, entitled him to a guaranteed purse of $150,000 for his first four bouts, increasing to $200,000 thereafter. He also recieved a finish bonus for $50,000 for any fights won via stoppage, and a promotional fee per bout of $600,000. Meaning that, after his fourth fight for Bellator, he was entitled to either $800,000, or with a finish, $850,000 per fight.

None of Gegard Mousasi’s claims have been tested in court. The claims include breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, and a claim for relief for Monopsonization under the Sherman Act. He also claims to have been misclassified as an independent contractor.

The timing of the news of the lawsuit coincides with the PFL’s biggest even of the year, Battle of the Giants, set to feature the debut of Francis Ngannou. That takes place on October 19 in Saudi Arabia.

The post Gegard Mousasi Sues Bellator, Seeking 15 Million for Breach of Contract appeared first on Cageside Press.

UPDATE: Mousasi’s manager Nima Safapour released a statement to Mike Bohn regarding PFL’s release of Mousasi:

“We will not comment on the merits of the alleged release at this time for obvious reasons. However, we believe there is a greater lesson here that our community should pay close attention to. 

For an organization that repeatedly claims to be ‘fighter first’ we now truly see how PFL treats their fighters, especially their legends.”

On Wednesday’s edition of The MMA Hour, Mousasi, a PRIDE, UFC, and Bellator veteran and longtime fan favorite, expressed frustration with being on ice, unable to get a fight booked.

“They said that the amount [of money I get paid], we don’t want to cut you, it’s so much, that it’s better for you, I don’t know, look somewhere else or do something else,” Mousasi said on the show (via MMA Fighting). ”

That’s when the threat of legal action came up, given the promotion seemed unwilling to honor his contract, while being equally unwilling to release the star.

“At this moment, I’m like, listen, if someone doesn’t want me, I’m like, ‘F*ck it. Let’s go.’ But my team around me is like, ‘F*ck it, we’ll sue them.’ If it was up to me, I would just go, but I don’t know. We’ll see. The team around me is not that happy. So I think there is going to be legal action against them.”

Mousasi added that he felt disrespected by the fact that the PFL “don’t even want to pick up the phone and talk to us. It’s not even funny anymore. It’s the worst organization so far. I’ve fought in a lot of organizations, this is the worst one.”

On the Weighing In podcast, also on Wednesday, PFL Founder Donn Davis appeared to address those comments or at least others like them, saying that he was “shocked. Not surprised. Shocked is after surprised, that we were able to give 96, 97, 98 percent of fighters two fights this year, given we closed this deal in December.”

Still, on Thursday, PFL and Bellator social media channels announced that Mousasi had been released.

“Bellator has released Gegard Mousasi from his agreement,” a brief statement read. “We wish him all the best in his next fighting chapter.”

The statement was signed by Mike Kogan, Head of PFL Fighter Operations.

Mousasi (49-9-2), 38, has been competing professionally since 2003, and while he may not have a long career ahead of him with retirement looming, he still remains a marketable name in combat sports.

The post Following Legal Threat, PFL/Bellator Release Gegard Mousasi appeared first on Cageside Press.

“My manager tries to contact them, and they don’t even respond. There’s no effort to promote [me] or get me a fight,” Mousasi, a former Bellator middleweight champ, told MMA Junkie in an interview published earlier this week.

Not so, Sefo told Cageside Press during Friday’s post-fight press conference.

“I had an offer for him [Mousasi] to fight at 205, and he turned it down. I don’t know where that miscommunication was,” Sefo responded, without naming the opponent in question. Sefo, a former fighter himself, went on to reveal that the bout would have been part of the PFL vs. Bellator Champions card.

“They asked for certain people, and those people weren’t on the card. And then of course as any card goes along, you match it today and hope for the best, hope that nobody gets injured. Throughout that Champions vs. Champions I think we had three, four guys fall out due to injuries and whatnot. Certain things had to happen and we had to pull certain people in.”

“An offer was offered to his manager, from me, and they turned it down,” Sefo added. “They said no.”

Sefo, however, believes that Mousasi and the league will be able to move forward. “Absolutely. We’ve got to sit down and work out what makes sense and go from there.”

Asked about any new talent coming into the PFL, Sefo let slip that the league had inked a deal with a top Irish prospect in Cage Warriors star Paul Hughes.

“We signed Paul Hughes already. So keep that to yourself,” joked Sefo.

With an 11-1 record and riding a five-fight win streak, lightweight Hughes has been seen as a UFC-ready talent— or perhaps PFL-ready talent in this case. He holds a win over current UFC fighter Morgan Charriere, and is a former Cage Warriors featherweight champ.

Watch the full PFL 3 post-fight press conference with Ray Sefo above.

The post PFL Signs Prospect Paul Hughes, Ray Sefo Says Mousasi Had Fight Booked appeared first on Cageside Press.

His opponent?

Well Jeffery couldn’t disclose that information just yet, but in regards to potential dance partners, three names come to mind: Former Bellator Middleweight Champion Gegard Mousasi, recent title challenger Fabian Edwards, and Bellator’s newest addition to the middleweight rankings and former top ranked light heavyweight, Grant Neal.

Regardless of whether his opponent is one of the three aforementioned fighters, Jeffery is glad to know that he’ll be making the walk once again in the coming months.

“I finally got some fight news so I’m pumped to get back in there,” Jeffery said in an interview with Cageside Press.

The Canadian middleweight has stood across some of the best 185ers in the sport, including the likes of Sean Brady, Andre Petroski, Brendan Allen, and Caio Borralho. He then made his way to Bellator where he would amass three victories in four fights, recording KOs over Fabio Aguiar and Austin Vanderford prior to defeating the then undefeated Dalton Rosta by decision his last time out.

“The performance was good man. I’m happy with it,” Jeffery said regarding his most recent bout. “(Rosta) was a tough guy, ranked in the top 10. Looking back on it I wish I got a finish, but it was a good performance overall.”

While the identity of Jeffery’s next opponent has not yet been revealed, one man that he will not be sharing the cage with (yet) is Bellator Middleweight Champion Johnny Eblen. Though Jeffery had seemingly secured a shot at middleweight gold with his victory over Rosta, the merging of the two premier MMA promotions (PFL and Bellator) paved way for a champions versus champions card, one that will feature a matchup between Eblen and PFL Light Heavyweight Champion Impa Kasanganay, who happens to be a good friend and teammate of Jeffery’s down at Kill Cliff FC in Deerfield Beach, Florida.

“(Impa) said that every time PFL offered him this fight he was like ‘I’ll fight anyone anywhere…But you know my boy Aaron Jeffery is next in line.’ And I believe him when he says that he told them that,” Jeffery said. “But no, I’m happy for him man. That guy works very hard. He’s made a lot of sacrifices and he’s finally doing very big things with his career. It’s very cool to see.”

Jeffery spends most of his time in his native land up north at Niagara Top Team, a gym that has been on the rise as of late, largely due to the success of Jasmine Jasudavicius, Mike Malott, and of course, the man that made the mullet more famous than Billy Ray Cyrus. Though in recent years Jeffery has dedicated a portion of his training camp to Kill Cliff FC, where he benefits from different looks in the gym and warmer weather in the winter, in addition to high-level coaching under the watchful eye of Henri Hooft.

“The vibes at Kill Cliff are very similar (to Niagara Top Team) man. I think that’s why I like it. There’s so much that reminds me a lot of home. There’s a strong team atmosphere where guys are trying to help each other out. ‘Shut up and work hard’ is kind of like the the motto of the gym, so I like it,” Jeffery said. “It’s also the big bodies down there. I don’t have a lot of bigger guys (at NTT). So I need to get down there and move around with some middleweights and light heavyweights.”

The last few months have been challenging in many different ways for Bellator fighters, largely pertaining to the uncertainty that loomed over their futures within the newly merged promotion. Jeffery, however, maintained a realistic outlook on the situation and understands that there is a business side to this sport.

“Fighters – We’re pretty much at the bottom of the totem pole right…Unfortunately we don’t really have much pull in any of this,” Jeffery said. “There’s a million MMA fighters out there that want to be in the position we’re in, so they don’t really need us exactly. So yeah – we get the short end of the stick.”

And he’s right.

There are millions of fighters out there, but there’s only one Aaron Jeffery. Fans and members of the MMA community will be on the lookout for updates to come as they await AJ’s return to the cage.

The post Aaron Jeffery: The Man That Made The Mullet More Famous Than Billy Ray Cyrus appeared first on Cageside Press.

The middleweight match-up had a lot riding on it, with Mousasi suggesting it might just be his second-to-last fight after a storied career that had started two decades previously.

The fight started with Mousasi holding center, Edwards on the outside. Unfortunately, the first significant strike was a kick that landed right on the cup of Fabian Edwards, resulting in a halt to the action barely a minute in.

With the action back underway, Mousasi didn’t shy away from utilizing his kicks, flashing several front kicks to keep Edwards from closing the distance. Edwards did finally close the distance to do some clinch work, but Mousasi quickly broke and landed a low kick, answered by Edwards.

The first finished out on the feet; the second round found Mousasi and Edwards trading kicks again. Early in the second frame, however, Edwards shot a takedown off a Mousasi kick and landed it. Edwards just sat on top while Mousasi punched from the bottom; finally the Brit tried to pass, to no avail. Mousasi then switched to a butterfly guard, continuing to throw open-handed strikes from bottom. He shrimped back to the fence, posted up, dumped Fabian Edwards over the top, and moved to half guard! The ref however stopped the action, ruling a knee had landed illegally.

Replay of the foul showed Mousasi’s knee glancing off Edwards’ leg while it was in transit, making incidental contact with the British middleweight’s jaw as a result. No point deduction, in other words.

On the restart, Edwards began opening up, landing kicks and his right hand, hitting the mark with both several times. A strong finish to the second frame for Fabian.

Round three opened with renewed confidence from Fabian Edwards. While both men were landing leg kicks, Edwards had found his range with his hands. Unfortunately, an eye poke landed by Edwards halted the action.

When the resumed following the third foul of the fight, Edwards found considerable success with his length, landing his jab and combos. He also started adding up with inside leg kicks; Mousasi did have some success with teep kicks and single punches, but more often than not when closing the distance, Edwards was catching him.

The fourth round saw more solid stand-up work from Fabian Edwards. But at the midway mark, Mousasi changed things up, shooting and landing a takedown. Edwards quickly scrambled to his knees, but Mousasi controlled from the back, though he was ultimately unable to hold on to his opponent. Edwards reversed against the fence and broke, moving back to range, escaping harm for the time being. And in the dying seconds of the round, it was Edwards landing a throw takedown, though there was no time to do anything with it.

Come the fifth and final round, Gegard Mousasi was in need of a finish. Instead, he found himself with Fabian Edwards on his back. When Mousasi tried to scramble up, Edwards got hooks in. That eventually became a body triangle. Come the final minute, the outcome was a foregone conclusion. Mousasi was out of time, and Edwards had his biggest win yet. One that should lead to a title fight with Johnny Eblen — especially given they faced off in the cage in Paris.

Official Result: Fabian Edwards def. Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)

The post Bellator 296: Fabian Edwards Out-Strikes Gegard Mousasi, Title Fight Looms appeared first on Cageside Press.

The main event of the promotion’s return to Paris featured former middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, taking on rising 185lb contender Fabian Edwards, brother of UFC welterweight champ Leon.

The going theory heading into Bellator 296 was that the winner would get the next shot at champ Johnny Eblen, who had been on hand all week.

In the co-main event, meanwhile, a Lightweight Grand Prix quarterfinal saw ex-champ Brent Primus and French standout Mansour Barnaoui collide. Besides the obvious implications any Bellator tournament bout brings with it — the chance to move on, to move one step closer to a million dollars — Primus vs. Barnaoui also had a title shot awaiting the winner, with champ Usman Nurmagomedov already having beaten Benson Henderson to secure a spot in the semifinal round.

Bellator 296 takes place at the Accor Arena on Friday, May 12, 2023, airing live on Showtime in the U.S., and on PPV via Bellator360.com in Canada. Full results from the event can be found below. Where available, the preliminary card also streams live below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwDcFKSudhg

Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards Results

Main card

Fabian Edwards def. Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 49-46)
Brent Primus def. Mansour Barnaoui by unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47) — Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Douglas Lima def. Costello Van Steenis by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Thibault Gouti def. Kane Mousah by knockout, Round 2, 3:58

Preliminary card

Denise Kielholtz def. Paula Cristina by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Luca Poclit def. Oliver Enkamp by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Saul Rogers def. Davy Gallon by submission (D’arce Choke), Round 1, 2:12 Overturned to a No Contest by the Mohegan Tribe Department of Athletic Regulation and French Mixed Martial Arts Federation
Yves Landu def. Piotr Niedzielski by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
Sarvarjon Khamidov def. Kevin Petshi by submission (rear-naked choke), Round 3, 1:33
Tim Wilde def. Chris Gonzalez by unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)
Fabacary Diatta def. Keir Harvie by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26)
Asaël Adjoudj def. Georges Sasu by unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-27)
Romain Debienne def. Bourama Camara by knockout, Round 2, 1:04
José Augusto def. Simon Biyong by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)

The post Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

“I don’t know. Probably it’s going to be the last,” Mousasi told reporters including Cageside Press on Wednesday.

Mousasi did mention what fight he wanted after Edwards.

“First Edwards then we go for him (Johnny Eblen) for another shot,” he said.

Eblen was the one to take the title away from Mousasi in the first place. The former champion did not downplay Eblen’s abilities.

“He was more hungry, he was better prepared, the fight after me against (Anatoly) Tokov he did pretty well also. He showed he’s someone to be recognized and not take light. He’s a serious fighter. He’s the champion for a reason,” said Mousasi.

Mousasi is one of the few MMA fighters to have made it to the top without having to be a showman or talk trash. Just get in the cage, fight, and win.

“One thing about America is, as long as you are a good fighter, eventually you will get there. You see Manny Pacquiao coming from Phillipines. He became a superstar in US,” he said.

“I wasn’t the big trash talker so it took me longer to get some recognition, but at the end of the day people recognize if your resume is good. You’re going to get there eventually.”

Speaking of resume’s Mousasi’s is one of the few to have a successful stint in both UFC and Bellator. The former champion compared the rosters’ champions and pointed out which Bellator champs could take on UFC champs.

“I can definitely see some of them beating the champions now. Welterweight to middleweight, light heavyweight, any of them. Heavyweight a little bit more difficult,” he said.

Someone mentioned the heavyweight champion in the UFC is currently Jon Jones. Mousasi laughed.

“Oh yeah heavyweight maybe not. Jon Jones is always tough. I think below heavyweight I would give everyone a great chance of winning.”

Watch the entire media day scrum with Gegard Mousasi above. Mousasi headlines Bellator 296 on Friday night against Fabian Edwards.

The post Gegard Mousasi Says He’ll Do One More Fight After Edwards, Then He’s Done appeared first on Cageside Press.

All fighters for Friday’s card hit the scales in Paris, France on Thursday morning, with just one small hiccup to report. Steven Hill vs. Nicoli Solli, which had been scheduled to kick off the Bellator 296 preliminary card, has been cancelled per Bellator officials.

No reason was given for the bout being scratched.

The rest of Friday’s key fights will move forward, however. That includes the main event, which sees Gegard Mouasi look to get back in the win column against Fabian Edwards, and the co-feature, one of the Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix quarterfinals. That bout has Brent Primus (replacing Sidney Outlaw) taking on Mansour Barnaoui; both fighters came in just under championship weight for the fight.

The winner of Primus vs. Barnaoui will face Usman Nurmagomedov for lightweight gold in the semifinal round of the grand prix.

Full results from the Bellator 296 weigh-in can be found below.

Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards Weigh-In Results

Main Card

Middleweight: Gegard Mousasi (185.6) vs. Fabian Edwards (184.8)
Lightweight: Brent Primus (154.6) vs. Mansour Barnaoui (154.6) — Bellator Lightweight Grand Prix Quarterfinal
Middleweight: Douglas Lima (185.8) vs. #10-Costello van Steenis (185.8)
Lightweight: Thibault Gouti (155.6) vs. Kane Mousah (155.2)

Preliminary Card

Flyweight: Denise Kielholtz (125.2) vs. Paula Cristina (126)
Welterweight: Oliver Enkamp (170) vs. Luca Poclit (169.6)
Lightweight: Davy Gallon (155.4) vs. Saul Rogers (155.8)
Featherweight: Yves Landu (145.8) vs. Piotr Niedzielski (146.2)
Contract Weight (141lbs): Sarvarjon Khamidov (140.6) vs. Kevin Petshi (140.4)
Lightweight: Chris Gonzalez (155.4) vs. Tim Wilde (156)
Featherweight: Fabacary Diatta (145.4) vs. Keir Harvie (145.8)
Contract Weight (150 lbs): Asael Adjoudj (150) vs. Georges Sasu (149.6)
Welterweight: Bourama Camara (170.1) vs. Romain Debienne (172.4)
Light Heavyweight: Simon Biyong (205.6) vs. Jose Augusto (205.2)

The post Bellator 296: Mousasi vs. Edwards Weigh-In Results — One Fight Scratched appeared first on Cageside Press.

On Thursday, promotion officials announced via press release that the organization would return to the Accor Arena in Paris, France on May 12, 2023. Among the fights announced, former middleweight champ Gegard Mousasi (49-8-2) will face Fabian Edwards (11-2), while the lightweight grand prix will continue, with Mansour Barnaoui (20-4) taking on Sidney Outlaw (16-5) in quarterfinal action.

Mousasi will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Johnny Eblen last year, which cost him Bellator’s middleweight title. The two-time Bellator MMA champ, who has also held gold in Cage Warriors, DREAM, and Strikeforce (the latter at light heavyweight), is 7-2 in Bellator overall.

Ranked #1 in the weight class, Mousasi will be meeting the #2-ranked Edwards, who has won two straight. The bout could very well determine who fights for the title later in 2023, after champ Eblen defends the belt against Anatoly Tokov next month.

Outlaw and Barnaoui, meanwhile, continue the promotions lightweight grand prix, which kicks off in March. Outlaw will be looking to bounce back from a loss to Tofiq Musayev, while Barnaoui picked up a win in his promotional debut last year.

Also announced for Bellator Paris are a pair of lightweight preliminary card match-ups. Those see Saul Rogers (15-5) lined up opposite Davy Gallon (21-8-2), and Thibault Gouti (16-6) taking on Kane Mousah (14-4).

The post Bellator Returning to Paris in May with Mousasi vs. Edwards, Barnaoui vs. Outlaw on Board appeared first on Cageside Press.

In fact, the 36-year old, approaching two full decades in the sport of mixed martial arts, has been as busy as ever. Bellator 282 on Friday marked his second attempt at defending his middleweight title in 2022. A third fight, for either 185 or 205, was already penciled in for the end of the year.

This latest showdown came against Johnny Eblen, a standout wrestler from a standout gym in American Top Team.

He played the role of spoiler on Friday, and played it well.

Eblen opened up the action with a kick, which Mousasi returned a moment later, going high with his own attempt. A couple of low kicks from Eblen followed; he circled on the outside, away from the champ. Eblen showed good head movement, and found a home for his left hand, then dropped Mousasi seconds later with a right! The champ went into a takedown, clearly hurt, and came back up no doubt still rocked. Eblen then went after a takedown, putting Mousasi into a sitting position, back to the cage.

As Mousasi worked to one knee, Eblen landed knees to the thigh, then tried to time one to the head as Mousasi came all the way up. Almost immediately, Eblen landed another takedown, not letting up on the pace. Mousasi would eventually reverse, threaten with a choke, and land on Eblen off the break, but there wasn’t much on that punch. Mousasi spent the last minute or so of the round walking Eblen down, kicking his leg while “The Human Cheat Code” did a bit of showboating.

Mousasi landed a crisp left jab early in round two; Eblen came back with a big right that just missed. Another would follow, and Eblen soon blasted into a takedown, putting Mousasi on his back in the center of the cage. Mousasi tried to scramble, but wound up stuck on his back, Eblen in side control. The champ would scramble up, but Eblen dragged him down again, and stayed on him as Mousasi got to the fence. By the midway point of the round, Eblen had landed yet another takedown, leaving Mousasi on the fence once again.

Later in the round, Mousasi began walking Eblen down again — but ate another right hand, albeit with less on it. Eblen tried a superman punch of the cage late, and went to the third having put on an impressive performance to that point.

Johnny Eblen started the third walking Mousasi down, adding a low kick, with Mousasi later kicking the inside of Eblen’s thigh. Mousasi ripped a kick to the body, and Eblen returned the favor. Eblen launched his overhand right several more times, and while there were no knockdowns, Mousasi still seemed caught off-guard by it. The body language between the two was night and day; Eblen was a blur of constant movement, Mousasi nearly stationary. Eblen then backed the champ up to the fence, landing a couple more times. Mousasi was still in first gear. Heck, he was barely out of park.

Early in round four, Mousasi had to block a head kick. He ate a right hand after throwing one of his own, and Eblen then charged forward for a takedown, landing it just a minute into the round. By the midway mark of the round, Eblen had the back, hooks in, and was hunting for a rear-naked choke. Mousasi attempted to reverse, to no avail. Instead, he wall walked up, and dodged a right hand, only to be taken down once again.

👊 @JohnnyEblen just won't let up on @Mousasi_MMA.#Bellator282 live NOW on @SHOsports
💻 https://t.co/Zg0a3DUrFs pic.twitter.com/WwghHMKv0o

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) June 25, 2022

Round five had Gegard Mousasi more than likely down four rounds. He ate a right hand early in the round, followed by some more showboating from Eblen. Mousasi flashed a front kick. Near the midway mark of the round, Eblen took Mousasi down for the umpteenth time, and the clock was now an issue. With just over a minute remaining, Mousasi got to his knees, but had Eblen all over him. Mousasi got up, Eblen landed one final takedown — a suplex — and thus ended the best performance of Johnny Eblen’s career, at the perfect moment. Five rounds of dominance against a living legend in Mousasi.

Just a dozen fights into his pro career, Eblen now has his first major championship. Bellator’s middleweight division, meanwhile, is on notice.

Official Result: Johnny Eblen def. Gegard Mousasi by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)

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