Gegard Mousasi says ‘life is easier’ in Bellator after being ‘small fish’ in UFC; criticizes the UFC

As a big mousasi fan, I feel like he dropped the ball. He could have been fighting for the title if he had made a statement towards bisping

This isn't the world where Bisping chooses to fight Gegard over GSP. Mousasi wasn't going to turn himself into a million+ buyrate in that interview.

I would've liked to see him get his title shot, but there's a strong possibility that it doesn't happen for over a year if he sticks around, and an even stronger one that Bisping is no longer champion when he gets it.

Mousasi will likely make more money by going to Bellator than he would have by staying in the UFC, even if he remained undefeated for a number of fights and took the belt. Had he been able to get to Bisping before he loses/retires, that would've been the most lucrative path, but it's also a long shot.
 
Last edited:
LMAO--- maybe add a zero to show and Mousasi very smart with sponsors- very experienced ---- lol, he'll probably equal or make more than your " 40/40" fighters on his sponsor cabbage.
I love sherdog (actually, I really do)

Well if the payouts for 183 is any way an indicator then no... no zero added.
Card was in not in a casion so the CAC was involved and heres the paout:

Main Card (Spike)
Patricky Freire ($65,000 + $45,000 = $110,000) def. Benson Henderson ($50,000)
Paul Daley ($50,000 + no win bonus = $50,000) def. Lorenz Larkin ($40,000)
Roy Nelson ($30,000 + $30,000 = $60,000) def. Javy Ayala ($50,000)
Aaron Pico ($25,000 + $25,000 = $50,000) def. Justin Linn ($4,000)
Goiti Yamauchi ($16,000 + $16,000 = $32,000) def. Adam Piccolotti ($18,000)
 
https://www.mmamania.com/2017/10/15...ier-in-bellator-after-being-small-fish-in-ufc

“I was a small fish in the UFC. I’m a big fish in Bellator. That’s why I want to do my part to grow with Bellator. There’s a connection that I don’t have with UFC. It’s a company, like a factory. With Bellator, it’s more that I’m part of the family, and I’m doing the best I can to grow with the family.”

Gegard Mousasi not happy about Yoel Romero vs Robert Whittaker interim title fight[/paste:font]
The disconnection between Mousasi and UFC shouldn’t come as a surprise. Just hours after announcing his contract signing with Bellator earlier this year, the former Strikeforce champion took direct aim at UFC and blasted its partnership with Reebok. It wasn’t the first time Mousasi publicly challenged UFC and probably won’t be the last.


“I was treated well in the UFC because I got the opportunity to get where I am now,” Mousasi said. “But, if I was to criticize them, I think the fairness of payment or the fairness of getting a title shot, it’s too much about the name of the fighter and who they feel they can build as a star as opposed to who is the best fighter. There are issues. Before the belt I’d have to fight probably Luke Rockhold, I would have fought Yoel Romero because (Robert) Whittaker is next. It would have made my road so difficult to get to the top. Some get an easy road.

“They give the fighters they like matchups suited for them so they can keep winning. They’ll probably do (Conor) McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3. Why? Because McGregor has a good shot of winning. They’re not going to make a fight with Khabib (Nurmagomedov) or Tony (Ferguson) because it’s bad for the promotion. Those things, you feel as a fighter. I’m not making things up. It’s frustrating. I had to take the hard road. That’s what I feel.”



I agree with Moose. The UFC has screwed over the entire MW division by letting Bisping duck top contenders so that he can defend against 46 year old washed up Hendo and a retired WW.

Thoughts?

Look, I'm all down with the criticism of the UFC, it's completely valid. But the thing is, Bellator is WAY WORSE as far as being a legitimate sports organisation goes. Freak shows and "money fights" galore.
 
He should wait until after fighting his first non-USADA opponent before making these statements.
 
f7FdEdG.jpg
 
Shit...I can't even argue with the dude. I don't know why they keep letting a lot of their best fighters leave...especially when some of these guys appear to be getting treated better after their departure. Shit like that starts to become infectious. A mass mutiny could form on the horizon...
 
Fucking Reebok is a big part of everyone leaving and I'm convinced that they only did it to streamline thd look in preparation for a sale knowing it would hurt the company long term.

Allowing free sponsorship would make fighters allowed to make more, and cost nothing out of pocket for the new owners. Honestly think several of the guys that left might have stayed if they weren't tied to the pathetic Reebok payout.
the new owners never would have allowed fighters to make free money off their backs. They are in the entertainment world and in that world no product placement is ever free. Fact is the fighter's never had any entitlement to free sponsorship money using the ufc branded distribution methods and their intellectual property, but the old regime was kind enough to allow them to. That would never, ever, ever happen in any entertainment company such as WME.
 
Styles make fights my friend and a BIG REMINDER that Whitaker did not fight the same jacare that Mousasi did...

If they fought a month from now:

Mousasi -180
Whitaker + 155

Mousasi wouldnt be favored. For what? Beating Vitor and barely beating a diminished Weidman? Whittaker just beat Romero and Jacare, two better wins than any of Mousasi's UFC wins.

Whittaker is the best MW in the world and he will soon have that undisputed title.
 
Whilst I agree with wha6t he's saying, how much money would the UFC make by giving Mousasi a title shot?

A talented fighter but not a huge name & he was behind a few guys for a title shot so really the jump to Bellator makes sense. I just hope he doesn't pull a Bendo & start losing fights.
 
Mousasi wouldnt be favored. For what? Beating Vitor and barely beating a diminished Weidman? Whittaker just beat Romero and Jacare, two better wins than any of Mousasi's UFC wins.



Whittaker is the best MW in the world and he will soon have that undisputed title.

You have no idea what you're talking about.lol,,,,, " a diminished weidman " ok well then if Gegard got to fight " mini" jacare like Whitaker got to then mousasi would be up 2-0 on Renaldo.
.....and Romero and his gas tank ain't getting any younger. We can play this game all day (but I wont).

Again, styles make fights and I guarantee you Mousasi would be favored. It may not be as high as -180 cause now the Whitaker hype train is steaming fast but he'd be an underdog to the Mousasi beast
 
It's silly and hypocritical for Mousasi to criticize the UFC, and by extension other fighters, for doing what makes the most financial sense for them, when he himself has just done what made the most financial sense for him by signing with Bellator, so he could be a big fish in a small pond.
 
I hope to high heaven that the UFC drops the Reebok deal once it expires.

Just let the fighters get the sponsors they want/can get.
 
9-3. Has won 7 of last 8, other than Hall fight (BTW not flukey when he has done same move numerous times before). his fight before ufc debut he mad 175k. If we take his reported payout 75k fight/35k win= 900k + 315k plus 200k in performance bonuses. Total of over 1.4 Million estimated made in 4 years in the ufc. Man, hard to feel bad for him even as a fellow fighter. At same time that 4B dollar sale says he should have been making a lot more than 75/35.

So if he was making double his estimated salary , (150/70) he would have made over 2.6M/ 4yrs. That sounds reasonably fair for a top 5 UFC fighter. No way a top #5 UFC fighter shouldnt get at least 75/75k, especially a guy with the history and skill of Gegard.
 
Last edited:
Moose, you decidedly lost to Souza and you were coming back up. Things were going well, as they should be, but showing resentment for being a small fish in a large pond is odd. Now youre a large fish in a small pond. Cant see how this works out in the long rub.

Buuuut with usada fucking UFCs brand, he may be onto something.
 
Back
Top