Prediction for the fight Gegard Mousasi vs Johnny Eblin

Several generations of mixed martial arts fans are familiar with such a fighter as Gegard Mousasi. He began to beat people professionally in the octagon 20 years ago and still manages to remain at the highest level. As is often the case, veteran prospects are on the hunt for their heads, and at Bellator 282, the Dreamcatcher will face the undefeated guy, Johnny Ablin.

This is the seventh fight under the promotion's banner for the up-and-coming prospect, and he's already got the opportunity to fight such a legend for the belt. What will we see on June 25th? Another declasse performed by Musashi, or a new middleweight champion? Let's look at this confrontation under the microscope and find out the likely winner.

• Gegard Mousasi vs Johnny Eblin;
• Gegard Mousasi;
• Johnny Eblin;
• Comparative analysis;
• Game Totals Prediction.

Gegard Mousasi vs Johnny Eblin

Gegard Mousasi

The current leader of the division has 58 professional fights behind him, as well as an impressive number of awards and trophies from different types of martial arts. He became the Dutch boxing champion two years in a row, won the titles of the CWFC, Dream organizations, moreover, in the middle and light heavyweight divisions, took the Strikeforce belt in just a minute, and also twice became the king of 84 kg in Bellator.

In addition, Gegard fought according to the rules of kickboxing, where he won the K-1 Dynamite. He has victories over such monsters as Rory MacDonald, Alexander Shlemenko, Vitor Belfort, Dan Henderson, Mark Hunt and many others. Musashi is a living legend who has been delighting us with his high-class fights for a year.

Strengths

It is literally impossible to see an excited Gegard before the fight. And with the same calmness, he makes his opponents relax. Only now the calm usually comes before the storm - lightning attacks, expressed in combinations at all levels, he again replaces with slowness. The erratic pace, abundance of offensive action options and total concentration make the Dreamcatcher dangerous throughout the entire distance of the duel.

Having dozens of fights in different sports and categories behind him, Musashi became a full-fledged representative of mixed martial arts. He has a good wrestling, great stance, he cuts and submits opponents regardless of their level. Few managed to catch him in a cage.

Without an analytical mind, the Dutchman could not have climbed so high. He perfectly analyzes the enemy, groping for his shortcomings, and then beats there from time to time until he gets what he wants. At the same time, he builds the defense in such a way that it is extremely difficult to break through it.

Weaknesses

For many years in battles, Gegard has eaten all the thrills that one can get in a duel, and the fact that he still retains motivation is a rarity. In some performances, drawdowns in activity were noticed behind him, and the athlete himself admitted that sometimes he burns out - it is at such moments that his exits into the cage look faded, and he can give up rounds due to passive combat.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Musashi is 36 years old, and his last performance dates back to February 2022, when the athlete defeated Austin Vanderford by technical knockout. Prior to that, Gegard won 3 more victories in a row, passing Josh Salter, Douglas Lima and Lyoto Machida. The last one to defeat him was Rafael Lovato, who just ran into an unmotivated Dreamcatcher. For many years, Musashi has been demonstrating excellent physical shape, and his main drawback is only his mental attitude. Otherwise, there are no questions about the champion's condition.

Johnny Eblin

Florida protégé King Mo has a background in wrestling, which he did while still at university. It was the victories on the surface that led him to mixed martial arts, where he continued to win due to his skills on the ground. Johnny's main achievement at the moment is an impeccable 11-0 record, but otherwise, his track record looks rather faded.

Eblin won his main victory in Bellator in March of this year, defeating John Salter, while the American's other victories are unremarkable. However, it is the status of a “dark horse” that opens up great prospects for this athlete in the context of the upcoming fight, since he does not stake anything other than his “0” in the defeat column.

Strengths

Johnny got his nickname for a reason. Despite the wrestling past, he hits really well, and it's not just about the rack. This guy's ground and pound is a particular threat to opponents, and he has earned almost half of his victories by defeating the opposition on the ground floor.

Eblin is a representative of the modern school of MMA, who has the dimensions of a light heavyweight, but successfully drives weight up to 84 kg. He is tall, muscular, and due to this he has an advantage over opponents, especially when he is on top of them.

Another component due to which Johnny succeeded is his tenacity and perfected technique on the ground. There is no question of submissions or anything like that, he just wrestles competently, understands well how to work from different positions and is in attack mode all the time, either throwing punches or improving his position.

Weaknesses

We have repeatedly watched successful prospects who did not know what it is to lose. However, this time the American will meet not just with the top, but with something more. Therefore, his 11 performances are nothing, especially considering who and in what way he defeated.

The current form and readiness of the fighter

Johnny is 30 years old, and as mentioned earlier, his stats are 11 wins, no losses. Travis Davis, Collin Huckbody and John Salter are names that Eblin has added to his record in his last three fights. This guy demonstrates a good level of skills, he is hardy, he knows how to charge hard and fight, but whether this will be enough to fight on the same level with the champion is an open question. In any case, there are no questions about the condition of the Diamond Hands, he is fresh, motivated and trains in one of the best teams in the world - American Top Team.

Comparative analysis

In terms of dimensions, the challenger looks more preferable, he is several centimeters taller than the champion, although he loses to him in arm span by 2 cm. In any case, Johnny will be heavier and larger in this fight, although who, if not Gegard, is well aware that such fights with huge opponents. In addition, it is the title holder who boasts a complete set of skills, from long-distance work to clinches and submissions. And here, Eblin has only one trump card that he can use - not the best defense against takedowns from Musashi.

The veteran really has certain problems with this, and it is especially interesting how his little-known counterpart, who looked convincing in confrontations with second-rate opposition, will play against such a background. I repeat, the striking technique and everything that will happen in the standing position definitely leaves Gegard, but the ground floor is a battlefield where Johnny has the opportunity to show himself, although there is no need to talk about the finish in the form of a reception on his part. Intense opening, translation and massive attacks are the strategy through which Eblin can be successful. To breathe Musashi, knock out or break at a distance of 5 rounds, he definitely will not succeed.

Gegard Mousasi vs Johnny Eblin Fight Prediction

As soon as it comes to young, unfailing contenders, even in the case of such a legend as Geghard, doubts arise: can an age-old champion cope with what a little-known opponent will offer him? Looking at the dry facts, it becomes clear that the alignment of forces in this battle is not in favor of Johnny, who, except to fight and lie down the champion, has nothing left to do. It is for this reason that we should expect a nervous start, and then Musashi will begin to adapt and increase his superiority, even if he initially ends up on the bottom. Dreamcatcher has plenty of options to win, and his vast experience should help him deal with the challenges that Eblin can bring in the early stretches while he's fresh. Download 1xbet to your phone and place a bet on the favorite!

Prediction: Gegard Mousasi win