“I’m fighting to get paid. I’m not doing this because I love the sport so much.”
Defending the Bellator middleweight title has become just another job for sixteen-year MMA veteran Gegard Mousasi.
Speaking to MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin ahead of his title defense against Rafael Lovato at Bellator London this weekend, ‘The Dreamcatcher’ explained his true motivation for fighting — and it’s not for legacy or fame.
“I’m fighting to get paid,” Mousasi told MMAFighting ahead of his return at Bellator London on Saturday. “I’m not doing this because I love the sport so much. I’m not a crazy person. The motivation if I beat these guys, if I keep winning, my paycheck will go up eventually after my contract is done. That’s the motivation for me. It’s my job.
“The better you do, the more you make. It’s the same for a doctor or lawyer. If you’re a better lawyer, you’re going to make more money. That’s what I’m trying to do. I want to be the best fighter that I can be to beat these guys and then I get a better contract. That’s the whole thing that keeps me going. Fighting is not my life.”
The reason Mousasi has flirted with changing divisions and trying his hand at welterweight and light heavyweight is also due to money.
“They wanted to make the Ryan Bader fight before [Rafael] Lovato and I said fine, pay me more. I’ve said to them, I will go to welterweight, pay me more,” Mousasi said. “If they don’t want to pay me more, I’m fine. I don’t need to do crazy stuff. If I go down [to welterweight], it’s going to take a lot of crazy stuff, a lot of energy out of me. If I go up, I’m going to be facing a bigger, stronger wrestler guy that’s not particularly a good style matchup for me but I’m willing to fight anybody.
“Like I said, I’m not doing it for fun. I’m doing it because I get paid. If they wanted to have a big super fight, that’s fine, pay me more. If not, I’m fine. I’ll stay at middleweight and I’ll do my thing.”
Bellator 223: Mousasi vs. Lovato takes place this Saturday, June 22 at SSE Arena in London, England.