Gegard Mousasi has a number of reasons why he decided to sign with Bellator.
Mousasi left the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on a five-fight winning streak. Many felt “The Dreamcatcher” was one win away from a title shot. With so much going for him, Mousasi tested free agency and it paid off.
Speaking to MMA Weekly, Mousasi explained why he isn’t returning to the UFC.
“Many, many factors. The pay was better. The way I’m going to be treated is better. I can have my own sponsors. I have to be realistic about that because Reebok has killed a lot of sponsors. There were a lot of sponsorships that you could have before, they don’t exist anymore. But it’s still better than getting $10,000 from Reebok.”
He went on to say that money wasn’t the end all be all.
“I get to bring fighters in and Scott [Coker] will give them the opportunity to fight. I will have the opportunity to go to light heavyweight, maybe fight for a title with the middleweight belt. So many things. It’s not just the money to be honest. It’s the treatment that I’m going to get. The way I feel. A lot of factors come to play when it comes to Bellator.”
