'Smarter' Gegard Mousasi believes career-long battle with motivation is over

STOCKHOLM – Gegard Mousasi’s talent is undeniable. He’s one of the world’s top-ranked middleweights and a former Strikeforce champion, yet there’s still a lingering feeling he could be even better.

With 42 pro fights since his April 2003 debut, Mousasi has had moments in his career where he underwhelmed, even when winning.

Mousasi has discussed his battle with motivation in the past, but it was a far more tolerable trait when competing in lesser organizations. At the UFC level, though, it’s essential to compete in peak physical and mental condition in order to win.

After he started his UFC career with a 2-2 record, the 29-year-old realized he must no longer slack. Mousasi admits there have been several points where his focus and drive wilted.

“It’s a lot to do with mental,” Mousasi told MMAjunkie of his up and down UFC career. “Taking fights after injuries and taking three big fights in a row. My last fight got delayed. It’s too much.”

An argument can be made that 2014 was the worst stretch of Mousasi’s career. He started the year with a competitive decision loss to Lyoto Machida, but successfully rebounded with a first-round submission of Mark Munoz.

Coming off the high of the Munoz victory, Mousasi was pitted against fellow middleweight contender Ronaldo Souza. It was a flat performance from start to finish, as “Jacare” ultimately submitted him in the third round.

The defeat marked the first time Mousasi had been stopped inside the distance since 2006. It was at that moment that he had a wake-up call.

“I definitely need to be smarter,” Mousasi said. “I’m fighting the biggest names at the highest level. I can’t just go and fight every two or three months against the top of the top. I’m now taking my time and once I’m ready and feeling good, then I’m going to fight.”

Healthy and well-prepared, Mousasi (35-5-2 MMA, 2-2 UFC) hopes to avoid the first two-fight losing streak of his career when he meets Dan Henderson (30-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on FOX 14 co-main event at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm. The main card airs on FOX following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Henderson is one of the most successful fighters in history. He’s a former two-division PRIDE champion, a former Strikeforce champion and owner of some of the greatest knockouts in the sport’s existence.

Despite Henderson’s position as the oldest fighter on the UFC roster, he can still knock out top fighters if he lands his signature right hand. There’s a very real danger when stepping in the octagon with “Hendo,” and even with Mousasi’s past struggles, he admits it’s not difficult to get motivated for such a legendary foe.

“Dan Henderson always comes to fights, so it’s going to be exciting,” Mousasi said. “I trained a lot on the strength and conditioning. I think the rest that I took after the last fight did me well. Once I was training I was pushing myself, so I think that’s the big difference.

“Fighting a legend is good for me if I get the win. I’m prepared for a good, three-round fight.”

While he’s had some solid moments in his UFC career, Mousasi’s newfound dedicated to training and pinpoint focus on his goals has him ready to be the fighter fans begged to see in the octagon years ago.

“I feel better going in there knowing I’m in very good shape,” Mousasi said. I think last fight I wasn’t in good shape and the motivation wasn’t there. In my mind I know I can do well in this fight.”

For more on UFC on FOX 14, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.