Middleweight Gegard Mousasi leaves UFC

There is one less contender for Australia's interim UFC middleweight champion Rob Whittaker to deal with, as Dutch middleweight Gegard Mousasi has signed with rival promotion Bellator.

Mousasi (42-6-2) was 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 injured champion Michael Bisping or even Whittaker.

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.