UFC 210: Gegard Mousasi eyes title shot - not Chris Weidman rematch - threatens to go blonde to get pay raise

Gegard Mousasi earned his fifth straight win last night (Sat., April 8, 2017) after defeating Chris Weidman in the co-main event of UFC 210, though it didn’t come without its fair share of controversy (read all about it here).

While Gegard was just as upset as anyone with the way everything unfolded, he wasn’t sympathetic toward Weidman for trying to take advantage of the rules.

“At the end of the day, I’m fighting,” Mousasi said at UFC 210’s post-fight press conference via MMA Fighting. “I have a lot of respect for Weidman. I don’t want to badmouth him. But, if you want to play smart and take advantage of the rules, that’s not my fault. I’m fighting. If you want to put your hands down so I cannot knee you — you’re fighting, don’t try to take advantage of the rules. I’m fighting, and at the end of the day, it was legal. That’s what everyone says now, it was legal,” he said.

“I don’t make the rules. It was legal and I felt he didn’t want to continue,” Mousasi continued. “I think everyone saw that. He didn’t want to continue. How is that my fault? I don’t give a fuck, I won. I like the guy, he’s a tough opponent, but at the end of the day, he didn’t want to fight. I felt he was getting tired. He was fatiguing. So I feel like he was trying to find a way out, and he felt maybe with a disqualification, he could do that.”

While Mousasi gladly offers Chris a rematch, at the end of the day he is hunting the a title fight.

“If he wants his rematch, I can give it to him,” Mousasi said. “But at the end of the day, I’m chasing the title. If I fight (Michael) Bisping, I think I would be the favorite.

“It’s up to UFC. If they want to make [a rematch], make it in Holland. Sure, why not? The crowd was on his side this time. He fights me in Holland, the crowd would be on my side. So, yes. He tried to play it smart, take advantage of the rules and get me disqualified. I think everyone saw that. Don’t blame me. That’s all I can say.”

On to further pressing matters, Gegard -- who is now a free agent — says its time he gets paid. And if he has to dye his hair blond to get a raise, then so be it.

“I should get paid,” Mousasi said. “I have defeated Jacare, defeated Mark Hunt, defeated Dan Henderson, defeated Vitor Belfort, defeated Weidman — all these guys I’ve defeated, they’re making more money than me. What is it? My nationality? Do you want me to die my hair blonde? What the fuck? I am one of the best — I should get paid as one of the best. So there’s nothing wrong with me. Just pay me what I’m worth. I’m a fair guy. I’m not asking more than what I’m worth. You think I can’t beat Bisping, I can’t talk like Bisping? What is it?”

Indeed, Mousasi’s performances have been speaking for themselves lately, but are they good enough to warrant a bump in pay, as well as a shot at the strap? For the record Dana White did say he would be talking to Gegard about his pay demands in the near future during the post-fight presser.

It pays — literally -- to speak up.

For complete UFC 210 results and coverage click here.