UFC 204's Gegard Mousasi taking 'smarter' approach: 'I don't need to fight for money anymore'

MANCHESTER, England – Gegard Mousasi admitted some missteps with his career have likely cost him from progressing up the totem pole in the fashion he desires.

Mousasi said there was a point in his career when he would fight anyone, anywhere and at any time, which is one of the reasons why, at just 31, “The Dreamcatcher” already has 47 professional fights and 39 wins on his resume.

That strategy worked as Mousasi (39-6-2 MMA, 6-3 UFC) was trying to build his name, credibility and financial stability in the sport. But ahead of this weekend’s showdown with Vitor Belfort (25-12 MMA, 14-8 UFC) at UFC 204, the former Strikeforce and DREAM champion said the time for taking risks and messing around is over.

“It’s just stupidity,” Mousasi told MMAjunkie. “It’s about taking the fights at the right time at the right circumstances. UFC will call you to fight, but you have to be smart. I’m a little bit smarter. I don’t need to fight for money anymore. I’m fighting because I’m smarter now. You know how the boxers work. They (build) them up, and you have to be smart. It’s not just fighting. It’s stupid to think, ‘Just fight and everything will work out.'”

UFC 204 takes place Saturday at Manchester Arena in England. Mousasi vs. Belfort co-headlines the pay-per-view main card following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass.

There was portion of Mousasi’s career in which he was criticized for a lack of personality and an openness when discussing his goals. He’s adjusted that approach and made it clear he wants big fights and to compete for the title, but as the No. 9 fighter in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings, he knows there is work to be done, even if he gets past No. 6-ranked Belfort.

“(A win is) not going to get me nowhere,” Mousasi said. “After this, (I’ll need) another fight, but if some other guy wins, then maybe he’s in line to fight. It’s circumstances. You need a lot of good circumstances, luck and of course accomplishment to fight for the belt. You need a lot of factors. Just timing. The middleweight division is very tough. The whole scenario things have to go right before you go for the belt.

“I feel I’ve always been underrated. Still, let’s say I beat Vitor Belfort. (I’m) still going to be underrated. Maybe a little bit less.”

One thing Mousasi, who has won four of his past five fights, has been vocal about over the years, though, is that he wanted to fight former UFC champ Belfort. They were booked under the now-defunct Affliction banner in 2009, but the event was scrapped on short notice.

Mousasi has kept the matchup in mind for the more than seven years since, but insisted it’s not due to any personal issues with “The Phenom.” In fact, Mousasi praised Belfort and revealed that he’s actually worked with his upcoming opponent in the past.

“I’ve trained with him before; when Affliction didn’t go through, we trained together, and he’s a nice guy,” Mousasi said. “He’s a good guy. I got nothing against him. It’s just a fight. It’s a fight the fans like. They always ask me, ‘Who you want to fight? Who you want to fight?’ I said, ‘Vitor, Michael Bisping, Anderson (Silva).’

“(I got the fight) because Vitor is not fighting for the belt anymore,” he continued. “He lost for the belt, and he lost also against ‘Jacare’ (Souza). It’s a match that he needs to take. He cannot fight somebody who is going for the title. I’m just below that, so it’s a fight that makes sense for him and for me. Always Vitor makes sense because Vitor’s a big name.”

Although he said his focus is on winning his next fight, Mousasi said he also has some other future fights in mind. Former longtime UFC champ Anderson Silva (33-8 MMA, 16-4 UFC) is a name he’s requested as often as Belfort, but a rematch with Uriah Hall (12-7 MMA, 5-5 UFC), who became the first to stop Mousasi with strikes back in 2015, is at the top of the hit list.

He likely won’t get either of those fights if he can’t beat Belfort, though. And while the Brazilian has proven to be one of the most destructive finishers in MMA history, Mousasi said his brief time training with Belfort has him feeling good about his chances.

“I want to fight as soon as possible (after UFC 204),” Mousasi said. “(I want to) fight Anderson Silva or (get the) Uriah Hall rematch because the other guys are booked. But I want to fight before the end of the year. So, we have to see. I have to win first. … I never am going to mention how the training goes (with Belfort). But let’s say I’m confident.”

For more on UFC 204, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.