Top-10-ranked middleweights clashed in the UFC Fight Night 84 co-main event. No. 9-ranked Gegard Mousasi (38-6-2) returned from a loss to tangle with No. 10-ranked Thales Leites (25-6).
Leites pressured with a takedown attempt right away, but Mousasi stayed on his feet. The takedown defense would force Leites to abandon the attempt and get back to a striking distance. Mousasi’s lightning-quick jabs kept Leites out of range, and Mousasi also landed strong inside leg kicks.
The Brazilian was forced to shoot for another takedown, but Mousasi defended again. Leites took a lot of punishment from the leg kicks, making it an easy first round for Mousasi.
Stuck at the end of Mousasi’s jab was a big obstacle for Leites. Mousasi was accurate, and Leites had no answer. Leites, a former title challenger, was forced to throw wild punches in the hopes of connecting. Mousasi was simply too skilled. However, though skilled, Bleacher Report's Scott Harris and Fantasy SportsNet's Matt Brown pointed out Mousasi has shortcomings:
Mousasi's such a good fighter. I hold out hope that one day he'll finally put it all together and make a serious run in the UFC. #UFCLondon
— Scott Harris (@ScottHarrisMMA) February 27, 2016
I can’t imagine how frustrating it must be to coach Mousasi. Like a quarterback coach whose student always opts for the check down
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownM2) February 27, 2016
At the end of the second, it was visibly clear who was in firm control of the bout.
Leites pulled guard to open the third. It was the last of his options. Mousasi would not play in his guard for long before standing up and going right back to picking Leites apart with his jab. The difference in their striking made the fight a one-sided technical beatdown.
The victory is exactly what Mousasi needed to rebound from his loss to Uriah Hall.
The loss was extremely damaging to Leites. The 34-year-old will likely never be a legitimate threat to the the division's top end again, but he could assume the role of a UFC top-10 gatekeeper. He is skilled enough to do that, and it makes matchmaking a bit more simple for the UFC.
Chris Camozzi would be a good fight for Leites to take next. Camozzi wrecked Joe Riggs at UFC Fight Night 83 in early February. It would test the American to see if he is ready to be a top-15-level middleweight. It’s a fine addition to a Fight Night undercard. SB Nation/MMAFighting.com's E. Casey Leydon suggests a Mousasi/Hall rematch:
Let's see Mousasi vs Hall rematch. I think that might actually get some emotion out of him.
— E. Casey Leydon (@ekc) February 27, 2016
With the division in flux, predicting what's next for Mousasi is extremely difficult at this juncture. He could be put against someone like Derek Brunson, have a rematch with Hall or end up fighting a title contender who can’t wait for his shot at gold. If given the book, I would put Mousasi in the cage against the highest- ranked fighter not going for the belt.
In his post-fight interview, Mousasi said he is a top-five fighter.
This fight helped to clear the air at 185 pounds. Mousasi is moving upward, and Leites will now be relegated to keeping the gate for the middleweight contenders.
