Gegard Mousasi files lawsuit against Bellator/PFL, seeking over $15 million in damages

Former champion Gegard Mousasi filed a lawsuit in New Jersey against Bellator, and the promotion’s new owners at PFL, over numerous complaints including breach of contract.

The lawsuit was filed on Wednesday with several PFL executives named in the lawsuit including company co-founder Donn Davis, PFL CEO Peter Murray and matchmaker Mike Kogan.

The claims from Mousasi against Bellator include “breach of contract, breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, unjust enrichment, a claim for relief for Monopsonization.”

In the 81-page filing, Mousasi’s attorneys detail the contract that the veteran middleweight signed with Bellator in 2017 and then agreed to an extension in 2020 that was later amended in 2023.

Under the terms of the deal, Mousasi would be paid a “guaranteed purse of $150,000 for his first four bouts, and then after his first four bouts were completed, Gegard would receive guaranteed purse for each subsequent bout of $200,000.”

Mousasi would also receive a “finish bonus of $50,000 for any bouts won by knockout or submission, plus a promotional fee for each such bout of $600,000. Accordingly, after his fourth bout was completed, Gegard was guaranteed to earn $800,000 per bout, and up to $850,000.”

The lawsuit details Mousasi’s complaints over his lack of activity after completing the first four fights under his contract and then accepting a fight against Fabian Edwards “despite carrying an injury that effectively forced him to fight Edwards with one arm” because he was worried that the promotion was going to sideline him indefinitely.

Mousasi claims that his situation only got worse after Bellator sold to PFL in November 2023 and a lack of communication with promotion officials continued to keep him out of action. The former UFC fighter expressed his frustration when speaking to MMA Fighting back in April.

“The problem is we cannot get ahold of them,” Mousasi said at the time. “They refuse to answer us back. I’ve been training, I’ve been ready. But like I said, they don’t promote me, or people think I’m retired actually. People don’t even know. After my fight, Fabian Edwards fought twice, and since then, they don’t even talk to us. I know I have a contract with them. I know they are obligated to give me those fights. I’m just waiting and I don’t know. Just waiting, what can I do?

“I talked to Mike Kogan, he suggested, ‘Well, you make too much money.’ He said, ‘I would get back to you after I talk to them because they cannot let you hang like this.’ I haven’t heard from him either.”

The lawsuit lays out months of back and forth between Mousasi’s manager and PFL executives as attempts were made to resolve the situation, although the now 39-year-old fighter remained out of action.

Then in May, PFL and Bellator announced that Mousasi had been released from his contract after threatening legal action.

Now Mousasi has followed through with the lawsuit alleging breach of contract and claims that Bellator/PFL “engaged in anti-competitive monopsony conduct” while claiming he was misclassified as an independent contractor rather than an employee.

Mousasi is seeking “compensatory, consequential and/or equitable monetary damages in an amount to be determined at trial, but not less than $15 million” as well as punitive damages and attorney fees.