Gegard Mousasi Plans Fight Twice More in 2022, Then ‘Evaluate Where My Career is Going’

If all goes as planned, Gegard Mousasi will have an active 2022.

The Armenian-born Dutchman authored an emphatic middlweight title defense in the Bellator 275 headliner, defeating Austin Vanderford via technical knockout 1:25 into Round 1 at the 3Arena in Dublin on Friday. Mousasi has been victorious in seven of eight promotional appearances, with his only defeat coming via majority decision in a title bout at Bellator 223.

The former Strikeforce champion admitted at the Bellator 275 post-fight press conference that he entered the fight against Vanderford more confident than he has been in quite some time.

“I was hungry,” Mousasi said. “I was more determined than him and I’m in my prime. I feel I’m the best middleweight in the world right now. I never said that because I never thought that I was the best. But I told everyone this training camp, that this day, I was the best middleweight. I don’t know about tomorrow, but today I was the best.”

Now 36 years old, Mousasi has an idea of how he’d like the rest of his year to go — but the future beyond that is uncertain.

“Middle of the year, I’m going to fight again,” Mousasi said. “Then, at the end of the year, I’m going to fight again. I’m going to sit down and evaluate where my career is going. Then, I’m going to decide if I’m going to continue or not. I’ll have two more fights that I’ll concentrate on.

“Those guys who think they can beat me, they have something coming. I’m more confident than ever. Anyone who comes, they’re going to get it.”

Bellator president Scott Coker confirmed that the plan is to keep Mousasi busy for the remainder of 2022.

“We’re going to fight him a lot,” Coker said. “Gegard is going to fight, I think — I bet you, the way he’s looking — probably a minimum of three times this year.”