Gegard Mousasi waited more than five years for another crack at Lyoto Machida. He made the most of his second chance.
The former Bellator MMA middleweight champion recorded his ninth win in 10 appearances and set his sights on a rematch with current 185-pound titleholder Rafael Lovato Jr., as he eked out a split decision over Machida in the Bellator 228 headliner on Saturday at The Forum in Inglewood, California. Scores were 29-28 and 30-27 for Mousasi, 29-28 for Machida.
Mousasi (46-7-2, 4-1 Bellator) -- who lost a unanimous decision to “The Dragon” under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner in February 2014 -- outpaced his counterpart in the sequel, answering kicks with lightning-quick counters and working behind multi-punch bursts.