5 possible opponents for Gegard Mousasi
Gegard Mousasi is a true legend of MMA. The Bellator middleweight champion has an incredible resume in the sport and has fought many former champions in multiple weight classes. Mousasi's longevity is impressive, and age hasn't slowed him down as he still performs at a very high level.
Usually, the reason given for fighters departing the UFC and signing with a promotion like Bellator is that their skills declined. However, that was not the case for Mousasi; he was on a five-fight win streak when he left the UFC, defeating the likes of Thales Leites, Thiago Santos, Vitor Belfort, Uriah Hall and Chris Weidman.
Mousasi's Bellator run has been equally impressive. 'The Dreamcatcher' is currently 7-1 and has wins over Lyoto Machida and former Bellator welterweight champions Douglas Lima and Rory MacDonald.
Mousasi is currently expected to defend his middleweight championship against undefeated contender Austin Vanderford.
Since Gegard Mousasi joined Bellator, there's been talk of him competing at light heavyweight and perhaps even attempting to become a two-division champion.
This list will look at five possible opponents for Gegard Mousasi in Bellator MMA.
#5. Gegard Mousasi vs. Anatoly Tokov
Kicking off this list of possible opponents is middleweight contender Anatoly Tokov. Since joining Bellator in 2017, Tokov has proved that he's more than deserving of a middleweight title shot.
Tokov is another top fighter from FEDORTEAM, which includes Bellator light heavyweight champion Vadim Nemkov and interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavski.
Anatoly Tokov looking strong in the striking department.
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The pandemic hasn't been too kind to him; travel restrictions have made it difficult for Tokov to remain active.
After two years on the sidelines, Tokov returned at Bellator 269 in Moscow, Russia, where he defeated Sharaf Davlatmurodov by split decision. The result improved Tokov's overall Bellator record to 6-0 (30-3 MMA).
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Tokov's win also saw him return the Bellator middleweight rankings. Tokov now occupies the sixth spot in the division and is in the title picture.
If Mousasi retains his title against Vanderford, it'd be hard to deny Tokov a title shot against 'The Dreamcatcher'.
It will be interesting to see whether his ranking changes, but his record and performances make him a clear contender.