Gegard Mousasi Defends Title Against John Salter At Bellator In August

Reigning Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi will put his title on the line Friday, August 13 against top-contender John Salter.

The bout will headline the card from the Mohegan Sun Arena live on Showtime beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Fighting out of Leiden, South Holland, Netherlands, Mousasi has cemented legendary status within the sport, having won titles with multiple promotions across a 56-fight career.

Most recently, Mousasi defeated former Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima, clearing his path to a shot at a second middleweight title run. With victories in his storied career against Lyoto Machida, Rory MacDonald, Chris Weidman, Vitor Belfort, Jacare Souza, Dan Henderson and Mark Hunt, the Dutch MMA legend now faces a stiff challenge from John Salter.

North Carolina’s Salter enters his title shot on August 13 riding a three-fight winning streak with victories over Chidi Njokuani, Andrew Kapel and Mousasi’s teammate Costello van Steenis. The 36-year-old boasts a suffocating grappling and wrestling repertoire, ending six of his eight Bellator victories via submission. The bout will be Salter’s tenth with the promotion and his first opportunity to capture Bellator gold.