UFC Fight Night 84 Results: Gegard Mousasi Picks Thales Leites Apart in Decision Win

Ninth-ranked middleweight Gegard Mousasi put in a dominating performance against tenth ranked Thales Leites in the UFC Fight 84 co-main event on Saturday.

Leites, a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, immediately looked to get the fight to the ground, but Mousasi shook off the attempt. Mousasi established his jab early and picked Leites apart with punches and leg kicks.

In the second frame, Mousasi began putting together combinations, and the damage began to show on the face of the Brazilian. Leites didn’t have an answer for the striking of “The Dreamcatcher.”

Leites pulled guard to start the final round, but was unable to keep Mousasi in his guard. Mousasi stood and went back to peppering Leites with strikes. After eating a combination, Leites shot for a takedown late in the fight. Mousasi was content with sitting in half guard and letting the round end.

Despite not getting a finish, it was a dominating performance for Mousasi.

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“He’s a tough guy. He’s difficult to finish. I dominated two rounds. I’m not going to give it away in the last 30 seconds,” Mousasi said following the fight.

Both fighters were coming off a loss heading into Saturday’s event at the O2 Arena in London. Instead of risking getting caught like he did in his previous outing, Mousasi opted to play it safe.

“My standup was better. I was ready. I could have taken him down also, but I played it smart because last fight I took chances and I paid for it. If I fight smart, there’s little chance that they can defeat me,” he said.

With the win, Mousasi remains a contender in the 185-pound division, but won’t likely move up much in the rankings. Sitting in the number nine slot, the Dutchman believes that he’s a top five fighter.

“I am a top five guy even though I lost last fight. Obviously, you’re going to see a punch of a kick that you don’t see, but I’m definitely top five,” he said.