Bellator will crown a new middleweight champion on May 9.
Scott Coker, the Bellator president, has announced that former 185-pound champion Gegard Mousasi will collide with current welterweight title holder Douglas Lima in San Jose. The bout will be contested for the vacant Bellator middleweight gold. Previous champion, Rafael Lovato Jr., relinquished the title due to a brain condition.
Mousasi vs. Lima Confirmed For May 9
Take a look at Coker’s tweet confirming the matchup.
Mousasi was last seen in action back in Sept. 2019. He defeated Lyoto Machida in their rematch via split decision. It was a rebound win for Mousasi as he was defeated by Rafael Lovato Jr., losing the middleweight gold in the process.
Lima is coming off perhaps his best year as a professional MMA fighter. He won the Bellator Welterweight World Grand Prix, beating Andrey Koreshkov, Michael Page, and Rory MacDonald to win the tournament and become the undisputed Bellator welterweight champion.
The May 9 Bellator event in San Jose will be headlined by a light heavyweight title bout. Champion Ryan Bader will put his gold on the line against Vadim Nemkov. Nemkov is on a six-fight winning streak and he holds wins over former Bellator champions Phil Davis, Liam McGeary, and Rafael Carvalho.
The May 9 Bellator event will be held inside the SAP Center in San Jose, California. The promotion is still working on finalizing the card. Stick with MMA News for coverage on Bellator San Jose as those details become available.
