CHICAGO – PFL president Ray Sefo says he does not know where the breakdown in communication with Gegard Mousasi occurred, but asserted that the promotion hopes to have him in the game soon.
Mousasi (49-9-2) hasn’t competed since losing a unanimous decision to Fabian Edwards at Bellator 296 last May. The former Bellator and Strikeforce champion recently told MMA Junkie that he is unhappy with the current situation after the PFL acquired Bellator. , because he hasn’t played yet and has no matches scheduled.
“I haven’t had any news from PFL or Bellator, so I’ve been training a little bit back and forth. People actually think I’m retired,” Mousasi told MMA Junkie. “I’m waiting for the fight. I have a contract with them, but I feel like they don’t feel obligated to honor the contract.”
After PFL 3 in 2024, Sefo addressed Mousasi’s comments and stated that Mousasi has at least one offer at light heavyweight.
“When I first talked to his manager about this, there was an offer for him to fight at 205, but he turned it down,” Sefo told reporters at the post-tournament press conference. . “I don’t know where there was a miscommunication, but they asked for certain people and those people weren’t on the cards. And of course, as with any card, today was a match. and hope for the best.” No one gets hurt.
“Throughout the Champion vs. Champion game, I think we had three or four guys drop out because of injuries and stuff. Certain things had to happen and certain people had to come in. But yeah, from me. His manager made an offer and they turned it down. He said, ‘No.’
Mousasi, 38, also said his manager had tried to contact him about booking the match but the PFL had not responded, describing it as “radio silence”. He also felt under pressure to “take a pay cut” in order to compete.
“The problem is that the managers tried to contact them and they didn’t even respond,” Mousasi said. “There’s no effort to promote me or put me in a fight. It’s radio silence for them. People think I’m retired. They’re trying to become the second-largest organization in the world, but… I think the least they can do is tell me what their plans are.”
Sefo did not address Mousasi’s comments on salary, but said the PFL intends to have Mousasi competing for promotion this year. However, the details need to be worked out to create something meaningful for everyone involved.
When asked if the promotion wanted Mousasi to compete, Sefo said: “Yes, of course.” “We just have to sit down and figure out what makes sense and go from there.”
For more information on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s PFL 2024 Week 3 event hub.
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