Gegard Mousasi to Defend Middleweight Belt vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. in Bellator 214 Co-Main

Bellator MMA’s Jan. 26 tent-pole event just got a little bit bigger.

The California-based promotion announced on Monday that Gegard Mousasi will defend his middleweight crown against Rafael Lovato Jr. in the Bellator 214 co-feature. The card takes place at the Forum in Los Angeles and will see Fedor Emelianenko face Ryan Bader in the finals of the Bellator heavyweight grand prix in the evening’s headliner.

The main card will air on Paramount Network and DAZN at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT and also includes a featherweight tilt pitting Aaron Pico against Henry Corrales. The preliminary card will stream immediately prior on Bellator.com, the Bellator Mobile App and DAZN.

Mousasi claimed the 185-pound title with a first-round TKO of Rafael Carvalho at Bellator 200 on May 25 and made his first defense with a dominant second-round stoppage of welterweight champion Rory MacDonald at Bellator 206 on Sept. 29. The 33-year-old has won his last eight bouts, a streak that includes three triumphs in Bellator and five in the UFC.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu blackbelt, Lovato is 9-0 during his pro tenure, a stint that saw him capture middleweight gold in the now-defunct Legacy Fighting Championship before signing with Bellator. The 35-year-old has since gone 5-0 in the Scott Coker-led organization, finishing all but one of his opponents.