Gegard Mousasi Says He Can Beat Everyone At Middleweight
Gegard Mousasi will square off against former UFC light-heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida tonight, at the main event of UFN 36. ‘The Dreamcatcher’ has been a sure bet outside the promotion, and debuted with success against Ilir Latifi at 205 pounds.
The drop in weight comes with a step up in competition; ‘The Dragon’ is just about the toughest debut at 185 that is available. Mousasi feels as though he has the tools to beat anyone in the division, and he spoke with Bloodyelbow.com about his debut at mw:
“At middleweight, I don’t see anyone that I cannot beat. I feel comfortable fighting against any opponent. After this fight, I’d prefer to fight more of a stand up fighter, but first, I have to get through Machida.”
“I want to stay at 185 now that I’m in the UFC. I could see maybe taking a big fight at light heavy if they really needed me to, but that’s the only way. I don’t really want to be going up and down. I just want to focus on one division, and that’s middleweight.”
Getting through Machida is easier said than done, that’s for sure. The tricky Karate master is looking to be a force in his new weight class; displaying brutal finishing in his disposal of Mark Munoz at UFC Fight Night 30.
Mousasi seems aware of the threat in front of him, and how any lack of concentration will be exploited by Machida:
“He’s a smart fighter. He lures you in, and even though he doesn’t do a whole lot, what he does, he does well. I just have to be calm and not get irritated. The stand-up I’m not worried about. I will do just fine there, and on the ground also. I just have to fight smart.”
“The guy that I really like to watch is Cain Velasquez. He’s so conditioned, and he goes full throttle from start to finish. He’s the guy that really looks like a killing machine. There are other fighters that are good, like Jon Jones, but he paces himself and takes his time. Cain Velasquez always goes in with a purpose, and that’s to destroy. I think he’s the best fighter right now.”
Mousasi stands a good chance of joining the top flight of UFC stars with a win against Machida, the question is can he stay cool and find a home for his K-1 calibre kickboxing?
