Gegard Mousasi to Defend Bellator Title vs. Austin Vanderford on Feb. 25 in Dublin

Gegard Mousasi will make his next middleweight title defense against Austin Vanderford at a Bellator MMA event in Dublin, Ireland on Feb. 25.

MMAjunkie.com was first to report the booking. Vanderford had already been tabbed as the No. 1 contender at 185 pounds, so it was just a matter of announcing a date and venue for his matchup with Mousasi. The card, which has not been formally announced by the promotion, takes place at 3Arena.

Mousasi, 36, regained middleweight gold with a five-round verdict against ex-welterweight champ Douglas Lima at Bellator 250 in October 2020. The Armenian-born Dutchman returned to defend the belt with a third-round technical knockout victory against John Salter at Bellator 264. Mousasi is 6-1 overall within the California-based promotion with a pair of middleweight championship reigns to his credit. “The Dreamcatcher” has won 11 of his last 12 pro outings dating back to February 2016, a run that includes five triumphs in UFC competition.

Vanderford, meanwhile, is 11-0 since beginning his professional MMA career in March 2017. The 31-year-old Gracie Barra Portland representative has been victorious in his first five promotional appearances, including a unanimous decision win over Fabian Edwards in his most recent outing at Bellator 259.