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Gegard Mousasi

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Gegard Mousasi
Born (1985-08-01) August 1, 1985 (age 41)
Tehran, Iran
Occupation(s)Mixed martial artist, kickboxer
Known forBellator Middleweight Champion, DREAM Light Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Middleweight Champion, Cage Warriors World Middleweight Champion, Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion

Gegard Mousasi (born August 1, 1985) is a Dutch mixed martial artist and ex-kickboxer. Most recently, Mousasi competed within Bellator MMA, where he claimed the Bellator Middleweight Championship twice. His career also includes championship reigns as the DREAM Light Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Middleweight Champion, Cage Warriors World Middleweight Champion, and Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, earning him six world titles in MMA. When departing from the UFC in July 2017, he was positioned at #4 in the official UFC middleweight rankings.

Background

Born in Tehran, Iran to Armenian parents during the period of the Iran–Iraq War, Mousasi's family name was originally Mofsesian before being changed to Mousasi prior to his birth. After spending a year in refugee camps, he and his family moved to Leiden, Netherlands when he was four years old. There, he completed his primary education and cultivated an interest in martial arts. Starting judo training at age eight, he transitioned to boxing at fifteen, achieving the status of amateur boxing champion of the Netherlands with a record of 12 wins, 1 loss, and 9 knockouts. Subsequently, Mousasi shifted his focus to kickboxing before ultimately pursuing a career in mixed martial arts.

Pride FC Welterweight Grand Prix

In 2006, Mousasi signed on with Pride FC to compete in their Welterweight Grand Prix. At the initial stage during Pride Bushido 11, he secured a first-round TKO victory over Makoto Takimoto by inflicting a broken eye socket. In the quarterfinals, Mousasi was defeated by Akihiro Gono via armbar submission in the second round. He later faced Héctor Lombard in an alternate bout for the Grand Prix, winning by unanimous decision against the Cuban-born competitor.

Dream Middleweight Grand Prix

During Dream's 2008 Middleweight Grand Prix first round at Dream 2, Mousasi submitted Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Denis Kang using a triangle choke. Kang had earlier defeated Gono in the Pride Welterweight Grand Prix semifinals. At Dream 4, Mousasi earned a decision win over Yoon Dong-sik, advancing to the final stage at Dream 6. There, he submitted K-1 veteran Melvin Manhoef in the semifinals before meeting submission expert Ronaldo Souza in the championship match. Mousasi triumphed over Souza with an upkick after being taken down, becoming Dream's inaugural Middleweight Champion and winning the 2008 Grand Prix. Souza would later hold both the Dream Middleweight Championship and the Strikeforce Middleweight Championship.

ADCC Championships

On November 21, 2008, ADCC Europe president Marko Leistén announced Mousasi as an entrant for ADCC's 2009 event, reportedly competing in the -88 kg division. Nevertheless, Mousasi did not participate for undisclosed reasons.

M-1 Global

Mousasi took part in M-1 Global's Breakthrough event on August 28, 2009, engaging in an exhibition bout against former Pride Heavyweight and WAMMA Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko, who is both a teammate and friend. The match showcased multiple Judo throws from both athletes and concluded with Mousasi losing via straight armbar.

In February 2010, Mousasi parted ways with M-1 Global Management, citing it was best for his career. While recognizing M-1 Global's contribution to his success, he announced that his management would now be handled by someone personally close to him.

Dream Super Hulk Grand Prix

In interviews conducted in early 2009, Mousasi disclosed that the weight he accumulated following his victory in Dream's middleweight tournament made it challenging to return to the middleweight division. This led him to plan a transition first to light heavyweight and ultimately to heavyweight competition. Subsequently, he entered Dream's openweight Super Hulk Grand Prix, where he faced Mark Hunt in the initial round. Mousasi secured a first-round submission victory over Hunt at Dream 9. He was slated to compete against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou at Dream 11, but an injury forced him to withdraw.

Affliction

Mousasi was scheduled to battle Renato Sobral at Affliction: Trilogy on August 1, 2009; however, the event was canceled after its main event fell through shortly before the date. Originally, Mousasi was matched against Vitor Belfort, but disagreements regarding the weight class resulted in the cancellation of that fight.

Strikeforce and Dream

The previously canceled matchup between Sobral and Mousasi was rescheduled for August 15 at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg, where they competed for the Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship. Mousasi captured the title by knocking out Sobral within the first minute.

On November 7, 2009, at Strikeforce: Fedor vs. Rogers, Mousasi achieved his second Strikeforce win by TKO against Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou. Though initially intended as a title defense, this bout was contested as a non-title fight. Additionally, Mousasi defeated veteran Gary Goodridge under MMA rules at Dynamite!! 2009.

On April 17, 2010, Mousasi lost his Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Championship to Muhammed Lawal via unanimous decision. Despite outlanding Lawal with 171 total strikes compared to Lawal’s 125, Lawal’s successful takedowns (11 of 14 attempts) proved decisive. Mousasi was also penalized with a point deduction for an illegal upkick. It is noteworthy that Lawal later tested positive for anabolic steroids following a subsequent contest.

Dream Light Heavyweight Grand Prix

During the first round at Dream 15, Mousasi faced Jake O'Brien, who missed weight. Dream officials permitted the catchweight bout to count toward the tournament.[1] Mousasi secured an early first-round victory by applying a standing guillotine choke submission.[2] In the final match, he dominated Tatsuya Mizuno, concluding the fight in the first round with a rear-naked choke submission.[3]

Last of Strikeforce

Mousasi was scheduled to compete against Mike Kyle at Strikeforce 33 on April 9, 2011; however, Kyle withdrew due to injury and was replaced by Keith Jardine.[4] The fight concluded in a majority draw after Mousasi received a point deduction for an illegal upkick; without this penalty, he would have won by unanimous decision. Fightmetric data indicated Mousasi outstruck Jardine by a margin of 146 to 21. Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker acknowledged respect for Jardine but believed Mousasi deserved the win and suggested a rematch might occur.[5] MMA Fighting.com named this contest Runner-Up for "Robbery of the Half-Year."[6]

Returning on December 17, 2011 at Strikeforce: Melendez vs. Masvidal, Mousasi faced Ovince Saint Preux and earned a unanimous decision victory while demonstrating improved takedown defense.[7]

Mousasi was once again scheduled to fight Mike Kyle at Strikeforce: Tate vs. Rousey, but Kyle withdrew due to injury.[8] Following this, Mousasi underwent surgery for a torn ACL in his knee and anticipated full recovery by November 2012.[9] He signed an extension for six additional fights with Strikeforce, bringing his total contract to seven bouts; however, with Strikeforce’s eventual shutdown,[10] this contract likely became null.

Mousasi finally met Mike Kyle at Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine on January 12, 2013.[11] After successfully avoiding early strikes from Kyle, Mousasi secured a rear-naked choke submission late in the first round. This marked their fourth scheduled encounter and represented their first completed fight.[12]

Ultimate Fighting Championship

On January 15, 2013, the UFC revealed that Mousasi would be among 19 Strikeforce athletes transitioning to the UFC roster following his victory over Mike Kyle at Strikeforce's concluding event, Strikeforce: Marquardt vs. Saffiedine.

Initially, Mousasi was scheduled to make his UFC debut against Alexander Gustafsson on April 6, 2013, at UFC on Fuel TV 9. However, Gustafsson withdrew due to an injury sustained during training and was replaced by newcomer Ilir Latifi. Despite competing with a knee injury that necessitated surgery, Mousasi secured a unanimous decision win. UFC President Dana White commended him for accepting the late opponent change and performing while injured.

Transition to middleweight

For his second appearance in the UFC, Mousasi moved down to middleweight to challenge former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida on February 15, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 36. Although he lost by unanimous decision, the bout earned him his inaugural Fight of the Night award.

Mousasi then faced Mark Muñoz on May 31, 2014, at UFC Fight Night 41, achieving a first-round submission victory and receiving his first Performance of the Night accolade.

A rematch with Ronaldo Souza was planned for August 2, 2014, at UFC 176 but was postponed to September 5 at UFC Fight Night 50 due to the event’s cancellation. Souza defeated Mousasi via submission in the third round.

On January 24, 2015, Mousasi secured a first-round TKO win against Dan Henderson at UFC on Fox 14, earning another Performance of the Night bonus. He followed this with a unanimous decision victory over Costas Philippou on May 16, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 66.

Mousasi was scheduled to meet Roan Carneiro on September 27, 2015, at UFC Fight Night 75; however, Carneiro withdrew due to injury. Uriah Hall stepped in as a replacement and defeated Mousasi by second-round TKO after delivering a spinning back kick followed by strikes.

Although Mousasi was briefly linked to a bout with Michael Bisping on February 27, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 84, Bisping was reassigned to face Anderson Silva. Instead, Mousasi fought Thales Leites and won by unanimous decision.

Set to face Derek Brunson at UFC 200 on July 9, 2016, Mousasi instead competed against Thiago Santos after Brunson’s withdrawal. He achieved a first-round TKO victory and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus.

On October 8, 2016, at UFC 204, Mousasi defeated former light heavyweight champion Vitor Belfort via second-round TKO.

He avenged his previous loss to Uriah Hall with a first-round TKO win on November 19, 2016, at UFC Fight Night 99.

Mousasi faced Chris Weidman at UFC 210 on April 8, 2017. The contest ended amid controversy when referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight following two knees from Mousasi initially deemed illegal but later ruled legal after review. The result was recorded as a TKO victory for Mousasi. Weidman acknowledged he had anticipated a disqualification win and only continued after being informed the knees were permissible. The New York State Athletic Commission confirmed that instant replay was lawfully employed in deciding the outcome.

Bellator MMA

On July 10, 2017, Mousasi inked a six-fight contract with Bellator MMA, with ambitions to contend for the middleweight championship and subsequently capture the light heavyweight title.

Making his Bellator debut at Bellator 185 on October 20, 2017, Mousasi faced Alexander Shlemenko. Despite sustaining a broken right orbital bone within the opening minute, he persevered through the injury and secured a unanimous decision victory. Nevertheless, seven out of eleven media outlets scored the bout in favor of Shlemenko.

Bellator MMA Middleweight Title Reign

Mousasi captured the Bellator Middleweight World Championship by overcoming Rafael Carvalho through a first-round TKO at Bellator 200 held in London on 25 May 2018, marking him as the inaugural fighter to hold world titles in both Strikeforce and Bellator.

He successfully retained his championship against Rory MacDonald at Bellator 206 on 29 September 2018, securing victory via second-round TKO.

Originally scheduled to compete against Rafael Lovato Jr. at Bellator 214 on 26 January 2019, Mousasi withdrew due to a back injury. The match was later rescheduled for Bellator 223 on 22 June 2019, where Mousasi lost his championship by majority decision.

After this defeat, Mousasi achieved a split decision win over former UFC competitor Lyoto Machida at Bellator 228 on 28 September 2019.

Second Championship Tenure

In February 2020, Rafael Lovato Jr. vacated the Bellator Middleweight World Championship because of a cerebral cavernoma. Bellator declared that Mousasi would challenge then-Bellator Welterweight Champion Douglas Lima for the vacant middleweight belt at Bellator 242, initially set for May 9, 2020. At that period, Mousasi had also inked a fresh eight-fight contract with Bellator. However, the event faced postponement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The fight was eventually rescheduled for Bellator 250, where Mousasi regained the title by unanimous decision.

During his second reign, Mousasi defended the championship against John Salter at Bellator 264 on August 13, 2021, winning by third-round TKO. His subsequent defense occurred versus Austin Vanderford at Bellator 275 on February 25, 2022, in Dublin, Ireland, where he earned a first-round technical knockout.

Mousasi’s third title defense in the middleweight division was against Johnny Eblen at Bellator 282 on June 24, 2022. He lost his belt through a unanimous decision.

On May 12, 2023, Mousasi competed against Fabian Edwards at Bellator 296 in a middleweight title eliminator but was defeated by unanimous decision.

Exit from Promotion

On November 20, 2023, the Professional Fighters League (PFL) acquired Bellator MMA, resulting in Mousasi’s contract being transferred under PFL management. Roughly six months afterward, Mousasi voiced dissatisfaction with PFL management, citing limited fight opportunities and PFL’s refusal to uphold the financial conditions outlined in his Bellator contract. Subsequently, on May 23, 2024, Mousasi was released from his contract with PFL/Bellator.

On October 18, 2024, Mousasi initiated legal action against PFL subsidiaries Bellator Sport Worldwide LLC and New Bellator LLC along with several senior PFL/Bellator officials. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, violation of good faith obligations, unjust enrichment, and an antitrust claim related to monopsonization under the Sherman Antitrust Act. Additionally, Mousasi asserts wrongful classification as an independent contractor. He is pursuing $15 million in compensatory damages alongside punitive damages. The complaint names executives including PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis, CEO Peter Murray, matchmaker Mike Kogan, President of Fighter Operations Ray Sefo, EVP of Business Affairs Jim Branson, and VP/Deputy General Counsel George Pineda.

Global Fight League

On December 11, 2024, Mousasi inked a contract with the Global Fight League (GFL). He became Team London's top draft selection for GFL’s inaugural season on January 24, 2025.

Originally set to replace Maurício Rua, who withdrew for undisclosed reasons, Mousasi was slated to compete against former UFC Middleweight Championship contender Yoel Romero at a date and location yet to be announced. Nevertheless, by April 2025, all scheduled GFL events were suspended indefinitely.

K-1 Dynamite!! 2008

In an unexpected move within the MMA world, Mousasi agreed to a K-1 rules match against Japanese kickboxer Musashi during Dynamite!! 2008. Participating in an open weight category, Mousasi weighed in at 97.8 kg/216 lb, indicating his intention to compete at higher weight divisions. Following his victory in the Dream Middleweight Grand Prix, he declared his decision to stop fighting at middleweight due to the strenuous weight cuts involved. Despite being considered the underdog against the more seasoned Musashi, Mousasi achieved a first-round knockout. He concluded 2008 undefeated with a 6–0 record in MMA and 1–0 in K-1 competition.

K-1 Dynamite!! 2010

On New Year’s Eve 2010, Mousasi faced off against K-1 Heavyweight Champion Kyotaro under K-1 rules. Mousasi controlled the fight, sending Kyotaro to the canvas in the second round and ultimately securing a unanimous decision victory.

2012 Summer Olympics

On January 31, 2011, Mousasi explored the possibility of qualifying for boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics via Dutch qualifying events as part of his effort to refine his combat skills. Having previously been a Netherlands amateur boxing champion, this plan aligned with his athletic goals. However, after sustaining an injury and signing a new deal with Strikeforce, he withdrew from Olympic qualification pursuits.

Personal life

Mousasi has familial roots in both Iran and Armenia and practices Armenian Apostolic Christianity. His elder brother Gewik, once an MMA competitor himself and now a highly regarded MMA coach in the Netherlands, played a significant role in shaping Mousasi’s career and oversees his financial matters.

Mousasi also serves as godfather to Satoshi Ishii's son, Mousasi Ishi, who was named in his honor.

His nickname "Dream Catcher," bestowed by a friend, is one he personally dislikes because he believes it oversimplifies his fighting approach. Nonetheless, this epithet remains linked to his public identity.

Boxing

  • Nederlandse Boks Bond
    • Netherlands Amateur Boxing National Champion (2001)

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

|- |Loss |align=center|49–9–2 |Fabian Edwards |Unanimous decision |Bellator 296 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Paris, France | |- |Loss |align=center|49–8–2 |Johnny Eblen |Unanimous decision |Bellator 282 | |align=center|5 |align=center|5:00 |Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |- |Win |align=center|49–7–2 |Austin Vanderford |TKO via punches |Bellator 275 | |align=center|1 |align=center|1:25 |Dublin, Ireland | |- |Win |align=center|48–7–2 |John Salter |TKO by punches |Bellator 264 | |align=center|3 |align=center|2:07 |Uncasville, Connecticut, United States | |- |Win |align=center|47–7–2 |"Douglas Lima" |"Unanimous decision" |"2020 in Bellator MMA#Bellator 250" |"" |"5" |"5:00" |"Uncasville, Connecticut, United States" |"" |-

Kickboxing record

|- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2010-12-31 || Victory ||align=left| Kyotaro ||Dynamite!! 2010 ||Saitama, Japan || Unanimous decision || 3 || 3:00 || 5–0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |K-1 rules: three rounds of three minutes each. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2008-12-31 || Victory ||align=left| Musashi ||Dynamite!! 2008 ||Saitama, Japan || TKO (referee stoppage) || 1 || 2:32 || 4–0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |K-1 rules: three rounds of three minutes each. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2004-10-16 || Victory ||align=left| Enrico Grootenhuis ||Muay Thai & Mixfight Gala ||Emmen, Netherlands || KO (strikes) || 1 || 0:35 || 3–0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Muay Thai rules (B-class): five rounds of two minutes. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2004-01-25 || Victory ||align=left| Arno Hilckmann ||Muay Thai Gala || Alkmaar, Netherlands || Unanimous decision || 3 || 2:00 || 2–0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Muay Thai rules (C-class): three rounds of two minutes. |- |- bgcolor="#CCFFCC" |2003-06-14 || Victory ||align=left| Surinder Baghola ||Muay Thai Warrior ||Rhoon, Netherlands || TKO (strikes) || 1 || 1:04 || 1–0 |- ! style=background:white colspan=9 |Muay Thai rules (C-class): three rounds of two minutes. |- | colspan=9 | Legend:

See also

External links

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