Bellator 296 Results Highlights: Fabian Edwards Outpoints Gegard Mousasi to Earn Title Shot

Two fights after defeating a former world champion in Lyoto Machida, Fabian Edwards looked to add another victory over a former champion when he faced Gegard Mousasi in the main event of Bellator 296 on Friday. After five rounds, Edwards accomplished his mission, scoring a clear unanimous decision over a middleweight legend and securing a shot at championship gold later this year.

Mousasi never seemed to get his offense on track against Edwards, who was longer and faster throughout the fight. And, in moments when Mousasi could do something, careless fouls derailed his momentum.

Perhaps the greatest of those moments came in the second round. Edwards dropped Mousasi to the ground but did nothing offensively, allowing Mousasi to change position and get on top. As Mousasi tried to do damage on the ground, he launched an illegal knee that landed on Edwards’ face, causing the fight to be stopped and Mousasi to lose the vantage point.

Even though that moment seemed to show an advantage on the ground for Mousasi, the former champion chose to mostly stay on his feet, scoring only one other takedown in the fourth round. While he was able to move to full mount and even take the back, Mousasi was unable to hold the position before Edwards got to his feet.

The rest of the fight featured Edwards throwing quick punches and kicks, countering Mousasi’s slower attacks almost at will and clearly racking up rounds on the scorecards.

By the fifth round, it was Edwards who was securing the takedowns and maintaining back control, as Mousasi couldn’t do much more than avoid a submission.

It was a dominating performance for Edwards, commanding almost every moment of the fight against one of the great middleweights in MMA history.

After the conclusion of five rounds, the official scorecards were as extensive as expected. All three judges scored 49-46, giving Edwards the biggest win of his career.

The win secured Edwards a shot at middleweight champion Johnny Eblen, and a chance for Edwards to join his brother, UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards, as world champion.

“After I suffered my losses, a lot of people wrote me off,” Edwards said. “A lot of people thought I was finished. One more fight until I get the gold belt and join my brother and make some history.”

Eblen joined Edwards in the cage at the time, the two men exchanging words when it was confirmed that they would meet for Eblen’s title on September 23 in Dublin.

“I’m a much, much tougher opponent than Gegard and you’ll see,” Eblen said.

Mousasi, who lost the title to Eblen in their previous fight, has now lost back-to-back fights for the first time in a career that spans more than two decades and nearly 60 fights, nearly all of them fought on the sport’s biggest stages.