The Bellator middleweight championship won’t be on the line in January.
Gegard Mousasi was scheduled to defend his crown against undefeated Rafael Lovato Jr. in the co-main event of Bellator 214 in Inglewood, Calif., but was forced out of the contest due to a back injury, sources confirmed to MMA Fighting following a report by ESPN.
Mousasi (45-6-2) won the 185-pound title in May, finishing Rafael Carvalho in less than four minutes, and successfully defended it for the first time four months later, stopping welterweight champion Rory MacDonald in the second round.