Bellator 225 Mouthpiece Mystery Revealed

Matt Mitrione’s mouthpiece at Bellator 225 bounced around more than a super ball.

The Heavyweight Grand Prix semi-finalist headlined the card inside the Webster Bank Arena on Saturday night against PRIDE veteran, Sergei Kharitonov in a rematch of their ill-fated 15-second Bellator 215 clash.

While the first fight between the two heavyweights ended in less time it takes to boil an egg due to a mistimed low kick by Mitrione, equipment failure would besiege the former NFL player.

Mitrione lost his mouthpiece four times during the fight, with the final time leading to a devastating uppercut that would drop the Indiana native and end the fight.

Me losing was not because of my mouthpiece, it was because of my response to the situation. I always use the same one & lost it Thursday before fight week. Had an impression done at a West Lafayette dentist. It was shipped to hotel. First time I ever wore it was tonight.

— Matt Mitrione (@mattmitrione) August 25, 2019

“Me losing was not because of my mouthpiece,” Mitrione wrote on Twitter. “It was because of my response to the situation. I always use the same one & lost it Thursday before fight week. [I] had an impression done at a West Lafayette dentist. It was shipped to [the] hotel. First time I ever wore it was tonight.”

With the win, Kharitonov may be in-play for a heavyweight title shot against the winner of Bellator 226’s showdown between champion Ryan Bader and former title challenger Cheick Kongo.