Gegard Mousasi's manager issues statement following his release from the promotion - "We now truly see how PFL treats their fighters"

In light of Gegard Mousasi's negative comments on the PFL making headlines on May 22, the promotion has responded by releasing the former Bellator champion the following day. Within hours of the fighter's release, his manager has given an initial statement in reaction to the news.

Though Mousasi has been vocal about his discontent with the organization for months, his complaints reached a new level on the May 22 episode of The MMA Hour with videos of his interview circling MMA Twitter for the rest of the day. The narrative forced PFL founder Donn Davis to tweet a response on the news and the league subsequently released the 38-year-old from his contract.

Following his removal from the PFL roster, Mousasi's manager, Nima Safapour, issued an official statement, saying:

"We will not comment on the merits of the alleged release at this time for obvious reasons. However, we believe there is a greater lesson here that our community should pay close attention to. For an organization that repeatedly claims to be 'fighter first,' we nowrtruly see how PFL treats their fighters, especially their legends."

On The MMA Hour, Mousasi called PFL the "worst organization" he has ever fought for, claiming that his team could not get ahold of any executive of the promotion while in search of a fight.

Mousasi would also hint towards potentially taking legal action against the company on the advice of his team. He suggested that he would be open to leaving the PFL and the promotion released him less than 24 hours later.

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Was Gegard Mousasi a UFC champion?

Entering his 21st year as a professional fighter, Gegard Mousasi will be in the hunt for a new promotion after being with Bellator for over six years.

Before signing with Bellator, Mousasi was a top contender in the UFC, though he failed to receive a title shot. Following a win over Chris Weidman that added a fifth victory to his win streak in 2017, 'The Dreamcatcher' would leave the promotion after failing to come to terms on a new contract.

Two fights into his Bellator tenure, Mousasi would become the promotion's middleweight champion and defend the belt three times across two separate title reigns.

In the main event of Bellator 282, Mousasi lost his title to Johnny Eblen in a result that was considered an upset at the time. He has since fought once, losing to Fabian Edwards at Bellator 296.

Since the PFL acquired Bellator in late 2023, Mousasi has campaigned for a fight with the promotion but has not fought in over a year since losing to Edwards.