Bellator MMA Middleweight Champion Gegard Mousasi is defending the gold against Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion Rory MacDonald at Bellator 206.
Mousasi, who has previously competed in the UFC, feels that his former home is on the decline due to low quality cards.
“I feel the UFC is declining because they’re putting on bad cards, the main events are not that intriguing,” Mousasi said during a Bellator 206 media conference call. “We have a lot of big names fighting now in Bellator. You have Quinton (Jackson) vs. Wanderlei (Silva), that’s a superfight on its own, obviously (Lyoto) Machida is now here. Ryan Bader. You have Matt Mitrione, you have so many big names. I think because of my long career, I’m now where I should be and I’m taking every chance I get to fight for the big fights.”
The Bellator MMA Middleweight Champion isn’t the only person who feels this way, because MacDonald is in the same boat.
MacDonald, a former UFC fighter as well, echoes a similar sentiment to what Mousasi is stating, saying that fans don’t find the UFC bouts intriguing anymore.
“I think they’re (UFC welterweights) competing very well,” MacDonald said. “I like what Bellator’s doing with the management of it better. I think we have a more exciting division especially with the way they’re doing tournaments. I just think they’re managing it better, their talent. They’re giving us better opportunities. Obviously, UFC has great talent, but the matchups and the way they’re managing it, I don’t find it very intriguing and I find the fans are feeling the same way about it.”
Bellator 206 takes place on Saturday, September 29 from the SAP Center in San Jose, California with Gegard Mousasi and Rory MacDonald headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which streams live on DAZN.
