Mousasi chats with SI before putting his middleweight belt on the line against Austin Vanderford at Bellator 275.
Gegard Mousasi defends his middleweight title in the main event of this Friday’s Bellator 275 card. Taking place at the 3Arena in Dublin, Mousasi (48-7-2) will defend the belt against the undefeated Austin Vanderford.
Mousasi is on a three-fight win streak, and he has been victorious in 11 of his last 12 bouts. Though Vanderford (11–0) has looked impressive, especially with his array of takedowns, he has yet to meet an opponent with the skill and experience of Mousasi.
Speaking with Sports Illustrated from his hotel room in Dublin, Mousasi discussed his upcoming title defense, whether 2022 is the right time to also pursue the light heavyweight title and the brilliance of UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya.
Sports Illustrated: You are undefeated in your fights in Ireland. Will that streak continue on Friday against Vanderford?
Gegard Mousasi: I’ve fought in Ireland twice, with the last time being against Uriah Hall [in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2016]. The first time was earlier in my career in Dublin [against John Donnelly in ’05]. I’m with a group of nine, and I have friends coming, so there will be 30 people. The travel, it’s not a burden—I have a lot of fun. The weight cut is not something I enjoy. I’m a little grumpy about that, but other than that, I enjoy myself a lot, and I’m looking forward to this fight. I’ve trained a lot, so I’m very confident.
SI: You have been fighting professionally since 2003, succeeding in practically every top promotion around the globe. Nineteen years into your career, you are still competing at an elite level. For all of your accomplishments, do you feel you receive the respect you deserve?
Mousasi: Not really, to be honest. I feel like I’ve been in the game for a long time. I’ve beat very good fighters, big names. I’ve done kickboxing, I’ve done middleweight to light heavyweight, and after all these years, I’m still on top. You have a lot of guys that come up fast, they become champions, and suddenly, once they’re not the champ, they win, they lose—they win, they lose. I always came back stronger after a loss. I think that’s my biggest accomplishment. But I really don’t care. I’m just here to do my fights and get the win.
SI: Since leaving UFC, you are 6–1 in Bellator. You have a chance to add another victory to that total against Vanderford.
Mousasi: He only has 11 fights, but the guy has a lot of wrestling fights. He’s experienced. He knows how to pace himself and he knows how to win rounds. He does enough to secure the takedown, hold you, and get the win. I don’t think a lack of experience is going to hurt him. Obviously, he’s undefeated, so he’s confident, and he’s very explosive with the takedowns. But if he takes me down and I get up right away, then I take his best weapon away.
SI: Do you think his game plan is to make you hesitate on your striking out of caution to his takedowns?
Mousasi: He’s going to take me down whenever he can. Once he pushes, you know when he’s coming, especially when he presses you against the cage—that’s when he likes to shoot. For me, I’m going there to fight. Fight him on the ground, get up, stand up, and go 100%. If I do that, I have no doubt I’ll win.
Per Haljestam/USA TODAY Sports
SI: You have won 11 of your last 12 fights, which spans fights in the UFC and Bellator. How have you stayed so sharp?
Mousasi: First of all, I have a good team around me. I always keep the same team and build off that. So the training is important. Getting older, I’ve had to balance the training with the mental aspect. I’m staying hungry and giving myself the necessary rest. I am adjusting, especially as I get older, and that’s allowed me to fight for so long. And after a loss, I’ve always come back stronger, and that mentality has helped.
SI: I know your focus is on this Friday’s fight, but what comes next? Will it be a move back to light heavyweight? It would be fun to see you chase a second title in Bellator in a fight against Vadim Nemkov.
Mousasi: 100%. I think that’s going to be for the end of the year. If I’m lucky, they’re going to keep me busy in the middle of the year, and then at the end of the year they’ll do a super fight against the light heavyweight champ. That’s what I think.
SI: UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya is widely considered the best in the world in the division. What do you think of Adesanya?
Mousasi: I watch all the middleweights, and Adesanya is the No. 1 guy now. I would love to test myself against him, but that fight is never going to happen. I really would love to fight him, but the problem is it’s never going to happen, so me talking about it is like, what’s the point? As a fighter, I want to prove myself. I want to prove that I’m the No. 1 guy. Everyone sees him as the No. 1 guy. Of course, he’s beaten a lot of good fighters. So credit to him.
SI: Bellator 275 is an opportunity to further cement your status in Bellator, as well as rise in the pound-for-pound rankings, where you are currently fourth.
Mousasi: I think I’m better than ever. I expect to give one of my best performances. Of course, there is an opponent in front of me that is not going to work with me on that. It’s going to be a tough fight. This guy is not a pushover. But I feel I will be able to put him away.
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Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.