UFC: Gegard Mousasi discusses next opponent Rafael Carvalho, is eager to win Bellator middleweight title

Gegard Mousasi jumped ships from the UFC to Bellator MMA. His first fight in Bellator’s middleweight division was against the feared Alexander Shlemenko. After overcoming Shlemenko’s stern challenge, Mousasi has now set his eyes on Rafael Carvalho’s middleweight title. he is set to challenge for the title at Bellator 200 in London.

In a recent interview, Mousasi discussed fighting for the belt. He feels that winning the belt won’t decide whether he is a good fighter or not but will surely decide his legacy. He also feels that Carvalho is the champion for a reason but doesn’t get the credit he deserves. Here’s what he told MMA Fighting:

It means a lot. On the other hand, I know it’s just a belt. It’s a trophy, but it’s a trophy that’s going to make me happy, I don’t know why, last year I’d been chasing a title and finally I’m here, I’m so close to it, so winning it would make me very happy.
At the end of the day, I know it’s just a belt, it doesn’t say if I was a good fighter or if I was a bad fighter, but people will always remember you if you hold the belt or not. Some good fighters, they never won the belt, so it doesn’t always show the whole picture. But it’s an accomplishment.
100-percent, he’s the champion for a reason, but it doesn’t say anything if I’m going to have a tough fight or not. I have fights where I thought I’m going to destroy the guy and then I had a very tough fight, I had fights where the guy’s a big name and I win in the first minute. So it doesn’t say anything about the fight if it’s going to be a tough fight or not. … I think the problem with him not getting credit is maybe his lack of English, he doesn’t speak English, I think. But other than that he’s a worthy champion.
I saw something on Instagram where he said, ‘In Brazil, we have a saying, you have to respect and whatever,’ I don’t know what he had heard, what he was implying that I’ve said, but it’s fight business. You can say a lot of things, it doesn’t mean anything. I respect all my opponents and they do the same thing that I do to get ready for fights. For me, it’s just talk, I haven’t heard much from him, I’m not a big trash talker either.