Bellator 214 is down a title fight.
Gegard Mousasi, the Bellator middleweight champion, has withdrawn from his Jan. 26 title defense against Rafael Lovato Jr. due to a back injury, sources told ESPN. It’s unclear at this time how long he’ll be sidelined.
The promotion and Lovato Jr. have yet to determine whether he’ll remain on the card, sources told ESPN.
Mousasi (45-6-2) most recently defeated Rory MacDonald via second-round TKO in September. The win was his eighth in a row.
Lovato Jr. (9-0), a fourth-degree Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, is coming off a third-round submission win over John Salter in September.
The event, which will take place The Forum in Inglewood, California, will be headlined by Ryan Bader versus Fedor Emelianenko for the vacant heavyweight title.