Gegard Mousasi (photo via UFC)

By FCF Staff

Recently Bellator announced that it has signed Gegard Mousasi to a multi-fight deal, and the renowned fighter believes talks with the UFC might have gone differently, if the previous ownership group had been in place.

Mousasi entered free agency earlier this year, following a stoppage win over Chris Weidman, which was his fifth straight. Due to Mousasi’s aggressive style, and because he was a top ranked middleweight when he entered free agency, many pundits believed the UFC would resign the 31 year-old.

Eventually, however, Mousasi came to terms with Bellator. While discussing his contract negotiations recently with Bellator, Mousasi had this to say about the UFC’s new ownership (quote via MMA Junkie):

“The new owners (at WME-IMG), they don’t understand fighting as well,” said Mousasi . “The Fertitta brothers, they made the company. Even (UFC President) Dana White, he doesn’t work with the same people. All the other guys got fired.

“One fight before my contract expired, I believe they would have pushed bigger negotiations, and it would have been different. But this company, they have a lot of debt. That’s not the fighters’ fault that they’re cutting staff and cutting fighters’ money. That’s not our problem.”

Mousasi and his manager also reported that his agreement with Bellator allows him to take bouts with promotions overseas, and boxing matches as well. The decorated fighter could also earn pay-per-view dividends if he competes on future Bellator PPV cards.