Rivalries: John Salter

As he works his way back toward contention in Bellator MMA, John Salter must now don the hat of divisional gatekeeper.

The 36-year-old Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt will face unbeaten American Top Team export Johnny Eblen in a Bellator 276 middleweight feature on March 12 at The Family Arena in St. Louis. Salter boasts a stellar 8-2 mark inside the Scott Coker-led organization, his successful stay highlighted by victories over Chidi Njokuani, Kendall Grove, Costello van Steenis and Dustin Jacoby. He operates out of the off-the-beaten-path Gym-O camp in Wilmington, North Carolina.

As Salter makes final preparations for his forthcoming battle with Eblen, a look at some of the rivalries that have helped shape his career:

Dan Miller

The former Cage Fury Fighting Championships and International Fight League titleholder vanquished Salter with a guillotine choke in the second round of their UFC 118 middleweight prelim on Aug. 28, 2010 at TD Garden in Boston. Miller drew the curtain 1:53 into Round 2. Salter had his moments in a competitive first round, where he executed a pair of takedowns and strained the New Jersey native’s gas tank. Miller entered the middle stanza visibly fatigued and in desperate need of a momentum shift. Salter unwittingly obliged, as he shot for an ill-advised takedown and wandered into the guillotine. An opportunistic veteran if there was one, Miller bit down on the choke, tightened his squeeze and forced the tapout. Afterward, Salter received his walking papers from the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Kalib Starnes

Just two appearances removed from his unceremonious dismissal by the UFC, Salter captured the Armageddon Fighting Championships middleweight crown when he put away “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 semifinalist with punches in the second round of their AFC 6 main event on June 18, 2011 at Bear Mountain Arena in Victoria, British Columbia. Starnes checked out 4:13 into Round 2. While Salter never again fought for the Canadian promotion, it was a key part of a six-fight run that saw him compile a 5-1 record—a June 2012 submission defeat to Reggie Pena was the lone outlier—and draw the attention of Bellator talent evaluators. There was indeed life after the UFC.

Brandon Halsey

Salter dispatched the former Bellator MMA middleweight champion with a triangle choke in the first round of their featured Bellator 156 attraction on June 17, 2016 at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California. Halsey tapped 4:03 into Round 1, suffering the first submission defeat of his career. Salter cut the HB Ultimate standout below the right eyebrow with a head kick inside the first 30 seconds, permanently altering the direction of the fight. Blood poured from the wound and desperation overtook Halsey, who was forced to accelerate his plans. Salter later staggered him with another high kick, surrendered a single-leg takedown and calmly cinched the triangle from the bottom. Hopelessly ensnared in the choke, Halsey had no choice but to surrender.

Rafael Lovato Jr.

The decorated Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt kept his perfect professional record intact when he submitted Salter with a rear-naked choke in the third round of their Bellator 205 middleweight showcase on Sept. 21, 2018 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Salter conceded defeat 4:27 into Round 3, losing for the first time in more than six years. After two relatively tepid rounds, the two middleweight contenders picked up the pace. Lovato denied a single-leg takedown, pancaked into top position and let his otherworldly ground skills do the rest. He advanced to mount, dropping punches and elbows until Salter surrendered his back. With his prey in a kneeling position, Lovato snaked his arms in place and executed the submission.

Gegard Mousasi

It required more of him than he anticipated, but “The Dreamcatcher” forced another would-be successor to bow at his feet and retained his undisputed Bellator MMA middleweight championship when he dispatched Salter with punches in the third round of their Bellator 264 headliner on Aug. 13, 2021 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The end came 2:07 into Round 3. Mousasi appeared to give away the first round with a flat start but started to sink his teeth into the challenger soon enough. He pressured Salter onto his back foot in the second round, scrambled into top position after being taken down and battered the Alabama native with standing-to-ground punches, elbows and forearm strikes. Mousasi stonewalled another attempted takedown at the start of Round 3, assumed a dominant position once more and cut loose with both hands until referee Dan Miragliotta had seen enough.