A Bellator middleweight title fight between champion Gegard Mousasi and top contender Johnny Eblen is in the works for June.
News of the targeted bout was first reported by MMA journalist Ariel Helwani.
Mousasi had teased a potential move to light heavyweight by the end of 2022, but that plan appears to be on hold at the moment. He is coming off one of the most dominant wins of his career over Austin Vanderford at Bellator 275 in a quick TKO victory.
Mousasi earned the belt by defeating Douglas Lima for the then-vacant title at Bellator 250. He went on to successfully defend it against John Salter and most recently against Vanderford.
Mousasi also had a brief title reign by defeating Rory MacDonald at Bellator 206 in a second-round ground-and-pound barrage.
Mousasi will face a tough test in Eblen, who has been on a roll and is undefeated in his MMA career. The former NCAA wrestling standout and American Top Team trainee most recently earned lopsided wins over Salter and Collin Huckbody.
Eblen made his Bellator debut back at Bellator 218 following his full-time transition to MMA. He has also earned wins over Taylor Johnson and Mauricio Alonso on the way to the title shot.
As Helwani reported, the Mousasi vs. Eblen matchup is tentatively in the works for sometime in June. The venue and exact date regarding the planned fight could be announced within the coming weeks.
What is your prediction for the rumored Gegard Mousasi vs. Johnny Eblen fight?