PFL slapped with $15M lawsuit, Belal Muhammad responds to Conor McGregor's threat, Ilia Topuria addresses gunshot wound rumor: MMA News Roundup
The Professional Fighters League has been sued with days remaining before Francis Ngannou's high-profile MMA return. Elsewhere, Belal Muhammad had a fitting reply to Conor McGregor's unwarranted tweet.
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PFL gets sued for alleged breach of contract
Former MMA champion Gegard Mousasi filed a lawsuit on Wednesday in New Jersey against Bellator and the promotion's new owners, PFL.
According to a report by MMA Fighting, the 81-page filing named several top executives: co-founder Donn Davis, CEO Peter Murray and matchmaker Mike Kogan. Mousasi is suing the company on charges of "breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, a claim for relief for monopsonization."
Under the terms of Mousasi's contract with Bellator, extended in 2023 with PFL, he was promised a guaranteed purse of $150,000 for the first four bouts and $200,000 after that. He would also receive $50,000 for finishes (knockouts or submissions) and an additional $600,000 as a promotional fee for finished bouts.
Mousasi had been frustrated with the inadequate communication and lack of fights offered since Bellator's sale to PFL last year. After threatening legal action, he was released from his contract in May 2024.
Mousasi is seeking compensation of no less than $15 million in the lawsuit, excluding punitive damages and attorney fees. That comes only days before PFL's mega event featuring Francis Ngannou's promotional debut against Renan Ferreira on the Battle of the Giants card.
Belal Muhammad reacts to Conor McGregor beef
Conor McGregor recently started an uncanny beef with Belal Muhammad on X and proceeded to delete the tweet soon afterward, as he often does. He wrote:
"I'd love to crush my left hook into Belal's temple and take down the triple crown. I'd do it easily and fast. I'd cave his skull heavy!... The UFC's most abysmal zero-revenue-generating fighter in modern history."
Muhammad addressed the remark in a recent appearance on Submission Radio:
"There's something in the air, and I think that's cocaine. This guy is always high or drunk, and the only way he can imagine beating me is if he's high or drunk. ... He needs to go back to rehab, and if he needs a ride there, I'll help him out. I'll get him an Uber there. Somebody needs to help this guy."
Catch Belal Muhammad's comments below (07:20):
Ilia Topuria sets the record straight on rumored gunshot wound
There's a conspiracy theory about Ilia Topuria on the internet stemming from a deep-looking wound he has above his left knee.
The scar is visible even from a distance when he's fighting or sparring while wearing shorts. It led to fans assuming the injury to be a gunshot wound and even discussing the matter at length on a Reddit thread.
However, Topuria clarified that it's not an injury sustained from a gunshot but rather a cut he had suffered as a child. He set the record straight in a recent interview with CBS Sports' Shakiel Mahjouri:
"I got a cut when I was a child with a ... with a crystal. When I was a child, I was playing with my friends, and yeah, I just got a cut with a crystal. ... It's not a bullet.""
Listen to Ilia Topuria's comments below (7:20)