Scott Coker thinks Gegard Mousasi vs. Yoel Romero could happen at some point in Bellator

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – When it comes to matchmaking his middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, there’s one potential fight in particular that stands out to Bellator president Scott Coker.

Mousasi (47-7-2 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) has only competed once since September 2019 and the contenders are starting to line up. With John Salter, Anatoly Tokov, Austin Vanderford, Fabian Edwards, and Costello van Steenis chomping at the bit, Coker sees a number of options at 185 pounds.

But there’s one other fight, which Coker highlighted when he spoke to MMA Junkie after the Bellator 259 ceremonial weigh-ins Friday at Mohegan Sun, that sticks out in his mind. The Bellator boss loves the prospect of a Mousasi vs. Yoel Romero matchup, even if it’s not in the immediate cards.

“We have a couple of really good fights for Gegard ahead of him,” Coker said. “We have something to announce probably by (Friday), maybe? Or maybe early next week. There are a lot of people who want to fight Gegard, so we have a lot of fights for him lined up. One of those guys is, you know, Romero. He’s a guy that might want to move back down to 185 (pounds). We’re talking to his management and maybe he can get a fight or two. Then, he also wants to fight for the title. That 185-pound weight class, once we get going on the series here, will have a lot of competition.”

Entering Bellator, Romero (13-5 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) was expected to compete at light heavyweight but withdrew from the grand prix when he did not receive medical clearance due to an eye issue. No timeline for his return has been given, but the multi-time UFC title challenger will be able to reapply for licensure later this year.

Mousasi, meanwhile, most recently competed at Bellator 250 in October when he successfully defended his title against Bellator welterweight champion Douglas Lima via unanimous decision.