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Brett Okamoto, ESPN staff writer
Former Bellator MMA champion Gegard Mousasi has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court against his former promotion, seeking at least $15 million in damages.
The lawsuit, filed in New Jersey on Wednesday, essentially accuses Bellator and PFL, the US-based advertising agency that bought the company late last year, of extorting him based on a lucrative contract he signed in 2020 , to be taken out of circulation. His legal complaints against Bellator include: breach of contract and misclassification as an independent contractor rather than an employee while under contract from 2017 to 2024. Several PFL executives are named as defendants, including Chairman Donn Davis and CEO Peter Murray.
Mousasi, 39, says he signed an eight-fight extension with Bellator in 2020 that would pay him $150,000 per fight, with add-ons in the second half of the contract of up to $850,000 per fight. After Mousasi fulfilled the first half of his contract through June 2022, the lawsuit says, he had difficulty getting Bellator to book him fights. The situation led to him accepting a fight against Fabian Edwards in May 2023, in which he said he was injured. Mousasi lost by decision.
The lawsuit details various attempts by Mousasi’s manager Nima Safapour to increase his activities, particularly after PFL’s purchase of Bellator.
The situation came to a head in May when Mousasi publicly expressed his frustration with Bellator’s new ownership. The company released Mousasi later that month.
PFL did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mousasi (49-9-2) is a former champion of multiple MMA promotions and has held titles with Bellator, DREAM, Cage Warriors and Strikeforce. He fought in the UFC from 2013 to 2017 and was close to fighting for the championship there before deciding to sign with Bellator in 2017. He trains in the Netherlands.
