Ex-Bellator champion accuses PFL of not honoring contracts post-merger, says promotion isn't "making any money" to pay

Former two-time Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi recently lashed out at the PFL for not honoring his fight contracts. He also accused them of purposely delaying booking him for a fight to potentially pay him less than contractually required.

For context, PFL acquired Bellator in a high-profile takeover late last year to become the UFC's unequivocal rival as the world's second-biggest MMA promotion. The deal had specific provisions that allowed PFL to absorb some of Bellator's most prominent stars while allowing the promotion to operate independently under a new system called Bellator Champions Series.

As a former middleweight champion, Mousasi was unsurprisingly among those the PFL picked to compete under new management. However, things haven't been going as well as the Dutchman would have hoped. It appears he's been frozen out by the new promotion after the merger.

During a recent appearance on the JAXXON Podcast, Mousasi outlined his troubles with the PFL and explained why he hasn't fought in almost a year. He said:

"I want to fight, but a little bit difficult with PFL. They don’t honor the contract, but we’ll see... They [PFL] took over the contracts, and Bellator fighters make more than the PFL guys, so they trying to cut [salaries], maybe put pressure."

He continued:

"So now, they have to cut because they’re not making a lot of money... After UFC, they want to be No. 2. So, they’re now No. 2, I guess. But I don’t hear them making any money.”

Watch the full episode below:

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Gegard Mousasi slams PFL for unfair treatment, compares promotion to "ex-girlfriend"

It's no secret that Gegard Mousasi has issues with the PFL and has accused the promotion of using unfair tactics to try to pay him less than what his contract requires. Before the podcast mentioned above episode, Mousasi spoke to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn and detailed his problem.

Mousasi compared Bellator to the UFC and explained how his former promotion gave him regular fights but didn't pay him enough. On the other hand, Bellator paid him more per fight, albeit giving him fewer opportunities to perform. However, he accuses the PFL of not giving him a fight at all. He said:

"Eventually, now they come and say, 'Well, you make too much money.' So they're trying the fighters' payment... UFC would give me every three-four months a fight, but they wouldn't pay me enough. Bellator, they paid me more, but I would fight a lot less. Now with PFL, they don't even give me a fight. This is the worst, I think. They don't even talk to you. It's like an ex-girlfriend or something."