Gegard Mousasi acknowledges the approaching end of his career and aims to pursue the Bellator middleweight belt one more time before retiring.
Gegard Mousasi is well aware that he can’t fight forever, so he’s approaching his next fight at Bellator 296 with the understanding that the end of his career is likely imminent. The two-time Bellator middleweight champion will be facing Fabian Edwards in Friday’s main event in Paris, which is a potential No. 1 contender’s bout. The winner will likely move on to face reigning 185-pound king Johnny Eblen. Mousasi, who lost the title to Eblen in June, expects to earn a rematch with a win over Edwards, but that will almost certainly be the last time he pursues gold before retirement.
“After this fight is probably a title fight,” Mousasi said. “I’m going to go for the belt one more time, and that’s probably going to be a decider if I’m going to continue [fighting] or not. This fight, I have to win and then go for the belt because I’m going to be 38, it’s my last chance to fight for the belt and I’m going to give my all. About Johnny Eblen [in the last fight], he was hungrier, better prepared. It was just his time.” At 37 years old, Mousasi admits that his 20-year career in combat sports has definitely taken a toll on his body, making it increasingly difficult to stay healthy during his training camps.
In fact, the UFC and Strikeforce veteran disclosed that part of the reason he hasn’t fought in almost a year was due to severe numbness in his hand, which caused him to undergo surgery that didn’t ultimately fix the problem. “After my fight, every time I would grip, my hand would fall asleep,” Mousasi said. “I had carpal tunnel syndrome or something like that, but I had an operation but it didn’t help. So even if I wanted to fight earlier, I couldn’t have done it.” He explained that the surgery was performed on his wrist, but the issue actually stemmed from his neck. Mousasi now receives regular treatment for his neck to prevent the problem from recurring.
While Mousasi still loves his job and hopes to become champion again, he knows that time eventually catches up to everyone – especially fighters who put their bodies through punishment on a daily basis. He doesn’t want to overstay his welcome, so his upcoming fight against Edwards and a potential rematch with Eblen will greatly impact his decision on how much longer he has in the sport. “I didn’t look good at all in my last fight, but I was winning before that,” Mousasi said. “I didn’t feel like I aged, but in that last fight, I looked slow. I didn’t really fight. If it happens one or two more times, I know that time is catching up.”