More Details on Mousasi's Break with M-1

MMA Junkie has more details as to why Gegard Mousasi decided to break with M-1:

Mousasi's longtime manager, Apy Echteld, on Friday told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) that the decision to leave was made when an M-1 executive elected not to sign a long-term management proposal that would have given the Dutch-Armenian fighter "lifetime security" - a deal similar to one held by Fedor Emelianenko.

Echteld, who spoke via telephone from Amsterdam, declined to name the executive who had rejected the offer. Echteld also said he was the only party holding a management agreement with Mousasi.

"Basically, what M-1 could provide for him was not what Gegard and me had in mind," Echteld said.

A separate source with knowledge of the situation said Sergei Matvienko - son of the mayor of St. Petersburg, Russia, and a major M-1 backer - may have been the executive who turned away the proposed deal.

Although Echteld praised M-1 Global's efforts in getting Mousasi exposure stateside, he said the decision to move on was based on a desire to move the fighter's career to the "next level."

"It's not that difficult," Echteld said. "The input of the marriage was like this: we wanted to make Gegard famous as soon as possible in the U.S. I think the co-branding with Fedor did well."

Of course the break with M-1 leads to instant speculation that Gegard could be headed to the UFC after he fulfills his Strikeforce contract.

Jordan Breen comments on what this means for Mousasi's future:

Mousasi is young enough that the UFC was always in his future, regardless. This just expedites things, potentially.

It's good either way for him. Either the UFC offers him bigger money, and more relevant competition, or Strikeforce makes a monster offer to keep him: either are great for a young, burgeoning fighter.

What's most important is he frees himself from M-1. Though M-1 don't get proper credit for a lot of the great things they do for MMA -- the M-1 Challenge system is fantastic -- there's no question that Mousasi's whole signing with Strikeforce was muddled in mis- and disinformation, even with Mousasi himself. It's the best move for him.

Mousasi is interested in boxing and competing in Japan so there is no guarantee that a completed Strikeforce contract places Gegard on an imminent path to the UFC.