Gegard Mousasi continued his near perfect run as a Bellator middleweight fighter, as he defended the title at 185 pounds against John Salter in Uncasville.Mousasi (47-8-2), earned a TKO at 2:07 in the third round via unanswered strikes from the ground. After a tough first round, Salter (18-5) tried to force the veteran 36-year-old veteran into submission. He then dominated him in the second and third rounds.Bellator 264 at Mohegan Sun Arena was the main event for the middleweight bout.Salter, a former NAIA wrestling champion, went all out in the first round with takedown attempts. He was able to take down Mousasi, but it seemed that he was exhausted. After the first five minutes, Mousasi looked clearly younger and he quickly imposed his will on the other side.Mousasi stated, "I didn’t want to put my self at risk [in round one]". "We were still fresh, we weren't slippery, we weren't sweaty. I was not ready to give up my back. I felt like I was pushing him down, and I knew my conditioning was on his side. People don't realize how strong I am. Although I may look thin, I am much stronger than I realize. I put pressure on him, and he was hurt with punches."Mousasi, a former champion in several organizations, including Strikeforce has compiled a record 6-1 since signing with Bellator in 2017. Before he arrived in the Bellator cage, Mousasi had been a top middleweight in the UFC and was on his way towards a title shot before accepting an offer from Bellator.He is a Bellator two-time champion at middleweight. He won his first belt in 2018, and defended it once. After that, he lost a heavyweight grappling match to Rafael Lovato Jr. Douglas Lima, a former welterweight champion, was defeated by the Dutch champion.Except for the fact that he lost a takedown in round one, Mousasi clearly was ready to face Salter in all areas. As he walked Salter down the fight, landing right hands and jabs, he showed little respect for his striking. Salter was unable to defend himself once he had taken the top spot in the second and third rounds.With the win, Mousasi snapped Salter's three-fight winning streak with the victory. He will face the undefeated No. Austin Vanderford (11-0), a contender, was present at his next defense.Vanderford stated, "He's an icon in the sport." I thought he was a man who went in and took care everything. "I'm eager to test myself and get out there."
