Bellator Made The Right Call Booking Rory MacDonald vs. Gegard Mousasi

By Adam Martin

After weeks of rumors and speculation, the superfight that hardcore MMA fans have been talking about is almost official. According to a report from ESPN.com’s Ariel Helwani, Bellator MMA has booked its middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi against its welterweight champion Rory MacDonald in what should be one of the most-anticipated fights of 2018. Fans have been asking for this fight ever since both men won their belts, and after originally shooting down the concept of the fight, it appears that Bellator President Scott Coker finally caved and decided to book the fight.

Although some believe Mousasi and MacDonald should be defending their belts against opponents in the middleweight and welterweight divisions, respectively, I believe that Bellator made the right call in booking this superfight. The most important reason is that this is a tremendous fight between arguably the two most well-rounded fighters in the promotion. Mousasi has won seven straight fights and has been victorious in both of his Bellator bouts, while MacDonald has bounced back from a difficult end to his UFC career to win both of his fights in the Bellator cage.

MMA promotions should be making the best fights possible, and in my mind this superfight is the best bout Bellator can make right now. Although some will say that MacDonald should be defending his belt against a welterweight like Andrey Koreshkov and that Mousasi should be fighting a middleweight like Rafael Lovato Jr., Bellator really needed to make a big splash during what has been a down year for the promotion. The Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix was supposed to carry Bellator in 2018, but ratings have been down so far, and now the promotion needs to book a huge fight that will get everyone to tune in. Mousasi vs. McDonald is just the fight they need.

Besides it being a bout between the two biggest names and most relevant fighters under the Bellator banner right now, stylistically this is also a tremendous matchup between two highly technical mixed martial artists who can finish fights. MacDonald is known for his well-rounded striking attack and solid wrestling skills, while Mousasi is a devastating finisher whether the fight stays standing or hits the floor, as he has both standup and submission skills. Although Mousasi will be the bigger man, MacDonald is a huge welterweight and shouldn’t look too out of place at middleweight, so the fight should ultimately be decided by the skill level of the fighters and not the size.

With the fourth fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Wanderlei Silva to go along with this one, the September 29th Bellator card in San Jose, California should be a good one. Mousasi vs. MacDonald is going to be an amazing fight, and Bellator got it right by booking it. The promotion was in desperate need for a jolt of excitement, and this fight is just that. Kudos to Coker and the matchmakers at Bellator for pulling the trigger, as it should be one of the best fights of the year.