Gegard Mousasi is a former DREAM Middleweight Champion and a former Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Champion, but if the MMA veteran has his way, he will become the UFC Middleweight Champion sooner than later, too.
Mousasi does see a clear path to the championship, first he must get revenge on Uriah Hall, who defeated him at UFC Fight Night 75 last year.
“You need circumstances,” Mousasi told MMA Junkie. “A lot of times you need luck. So for me it worked out well, but I wasn’t thinking they would do the rematch. …They needed a main event so they contacted me and asked me if I wanted it and I said yes, then they called Uriah and we have the fight. I’m happy. It’s a quick turnaround (from my last fight). It’s better for me. Don’t need to get chubby, don’t need to get out of shape. If I fight next month I will do it again.”
Mousasi does consider the loss to Hall a slight detour, but if he gets past the TUF alumni, he wants future fights with former UFC Middleweight Champion Luke Rockhold and another revenge fight against Ronaldo Souza.
“It’s just a detour,” Mousasi said. “I need to settle the score and after this, if I win, probably some guy like Luke Rockhold. ‘Jacare’ (Souza) I fought twice, so he’s the next guy that’s going to get me a title shot. I’m very close. It’s a risky fight for me to take this one. But it’s a fight, that’s what I do. We’ll see how it goes. The first fight I think I was rushing in too much. I wanted to finish him very bad. I wanted to make a statement. This fight I’m going to take my time. I’m going to pick my shots and I will be just fine. I’m away of the spinning back kicks. He’ll have to come up with something new. But overall my standup is good, so I’m not worried.”
Mousasi knows that current UFC Middleweight Champion Michael Bisping will be fighting Yoel Romero next, and he feels that a few key wins makes him a contender for the gold.
“I need to be a contender and then I will fight for the belt,” he continued. “Once I win it then hopefully people know (I deserve a shot). Of course (Bisping) has to deal with Yoel Romero now. You have ‘Jacare’ waiting for him and then after that it’s not really decided who’s next. I’m coming, but I have to win. I just need to perform and I need to perform on Saturday night.”
UFC Fight Night 99 takes place on Saturday, November 19 from the SSE Arena in Belfast, Northern Ireland with Gegard Mousasi and Uriah Hall headlining.
