Mousasi extends reign as middleweight champion

Gegard Mousasi’s near-perfect run as a Bellator MMA middleweight continued Friday after defending his 185-pound championship against John Salter in Uncasville, Conn.

Mousasi (48-7-2) earned a technical knockout at 2:07 of the third round by strikes on the ground. The 36-year-old veteran fighter withstood an early grappling attack from Salter (18-5) before dominating him from top position in the second and third rounds.

The middleweight fight headlined the Bellator 264 event at Mohegan Sun Arena.

Mousasi, a former champion in multiple organizations, including Strikeforce, has a 6-1 record since signing with Bellator in 2017. Prior to his arrival in the Bellator cage, Mousasi was one of the top middleweights in UFC, and was on track to earn a title shot in that promotion before accepting an offer with Bellator.

Mousasi is a two-time Bellator middleweight champion. He won his first belt in 2018 and defended it once, before losing a grappling showdown against Rafael Lovato Jr. The Dutch champion regained his title by defeating former welterweight champion Douglas Lima last October.

Aside from suffering a first round knockdown, Mousasi was clearly ready for Salter in all areas. He showed little respect for Salter’s punches as he basically stalked him throughout the fight, throwing jabs and right hands. Once he gained top position in the second and third rounds, Salter’s only recourse was to cover up defensively.

Mousasi snapped Salter’s three-fight winning streak. He is expected to face No. 1 contender Austin Vanderford (11-0) in his next defense.

“He’s a legend in the sport,” said Vanderford, who was present at the event. “He went in there and delivered. I’m excited to go out there and test myself.”