Gegard Mousasi celebrates his victory over Thiago Santos (L) during the UFC 200 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 9, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rey Del Rio/Getty Images/AFP
LOS ANGELES — Dutch middleweight Gegard Mousasi has signed with Bellator after four years in the UFC.
Bellator announced its latest high-profile free agent signing Monday.
Mousasi (42-6-2) is the fourth-ranked middleweight in the UFC rankings after winning his last five bouts, including a second-round stoppage of former champion Chris Weidman in April.
But the Iranian-born Mousasi had grown disenchanted with the UFC, and he was at the back of a logjam for a shot at champion Michael Bisping in its crowded middleweight division.
Robert Whittaker won the UFC’s interim 185-pound title on Saturday with a decision over Yoel Romero, and former champion Luke Rockhold also sits above Mousasi in the rankings.
Mousasi is following several former UFC stars in recently moving to Bellator, including Rory MacDonald, Lorenz Larkin and Ryan Bader.