At Bellator 250 on Thursday Gegard Mousasi won the vacant Bellator middleweight title after a unanimous decision victory over Bellator’s welterweight kingpin Douglas Lima. By winning Mousasi reclaimed the 185 lb belt he lost to Rafael Lovato Jr. last year. Lovato Jr. vacated the title after he was forced into retirement with a medical condition.
In his post-fight press conference Mousasi sang Lima’s praises, calling him a top three opponent out of the 11 former and present world champions Mousasi has beaten over his career.
Mousasi said he “underestimated” Lima at first, but after five tough rounds he seems to have gained a new found respect for Bellator’s 170 lb champ.