A Gegard Mousasi vs Rory MacDonald Prediction and Preview

The two champions had to push for the fight to happen as Bellator president Scott Coker was reluctant to agree to it. But now that it is officially happening, MMA fans are getting more and more excited by the minute. But for those who are new to the scene, here is a quick intro to the fighters.

The background of the bout

Mousasi (44-6-2) became the middleweight champion in May by a first-round TKO over Rafael Carvalho. MacDonald (20-4), the current welterweight champion since his unanimous decision victory over Douglas Lima in January, had expressed his intention to win the belt in both the welterweight and middleweight classes back when he signed a contract with Bellator.

MacDonald will be moving up from welterweight to middleweight in this fight. It will write sports history if he becomes champion in both divisions. This gives MacDonald ample motivation; as he put it, “I feel like I’m on the doorstep to history.”

While there is no precedent of a fighter holding both titles in Bellator, there have been four multi-division champions in the UFC, including Georges St-Pierre, who is affiliated with the same gym as MacDonald (Tristar). GSP snatched Michael Bisping’s middleweight title last year. Mousasi is well aware of that example but made it clear that he was “no Michael Bisping” and MacDonald would have a hard time matching Bisping’s performance.

“I know what GSP did, but believe me, I’m physically a lot stronger than Michael Bisping.” Mousasi admits that MacDonald “is a big welterweight” but thinks the size advantage will still impact the fight, especially since he does not consider MacDonald to be better than him in any area: “he doesn’t have anything over me that I’m impressed by—let’s say wrestling or standup, or he doesn’t have the reach, speed, the striking.”

Which fighter does our Gegard Mousasi vs Rory MacDonald prediction favor?

The middleweight champion has a point. The extra 15 lbs of weight indeed matter, especially if Mousasi will rely on takedowns as heavily as he did in his clash with Carvalho. What is more, Mousasi is arguably better with jabs and striking.

The odds offered on the bout by the best online betting sites in the United States also indicate that MacDonald will be fighting an uphill battle. Mousasi has -294 (1.34) betting odds compared to MacDonald’s +200 (3.00).

While many would like to see MacDonald make online sportsbook news in the US by an upset, it seems unlikely Bellator 206 will bring him a middleweight title. Although both fighters are well-rounded, Mousasi’s above-discussed advantages are expected to catch the eyes of the judges. This means that MacDonald will enter the Octagon under the considerable pressure of a need to do extra work in order to outshine his rival in case the fight goes the distance.

Do you agree with our Gegard Mousasi vs Rory MacDonald prediction? If so, you can bet on Mousasi to beat MacDonald by visiting Vbet Sportsbook.

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