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The Closing Bell: Bellator Lightweight Tournament Preview

Marcin Held (Bellator photo)

Bellator’s fourth season kicked off last Saturday with the welterweights in the promotion’s season opener, Bellator 35. This week at Bellator 36, it’s the lightweights’ turn. Eight men will compete for a chance to challenge current champion Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound belt.

Bellator heads to Shreveport, La., for the lightweight tournament’s quarterfinal round. The action airs live on MTV2 beginning at 9 p.m. ET.

Rather than just previewing one night’s worth of action in the tournament, we’re going to preview the entire bracket. So, let’s get started.

The Competitors

“Razor” Rob McCullough (19-6) is a former WEC lightweight champion who also has a decorated past as a Muay Thai fighter. The veteran fighter has competed against the likes of Jamie Varner, Donald Cerrone and Josh Thomson, though he was on the losing end in all of those encounters. Since dropping the WEC belt to Varner, “Razor” has gone 4-2, including wins in his last two outings under the Tachi Palace Fights banner.

Patricky “Pitbull” Freire (7-1) is the older brother of Season 2 featherweight tournament finalist Patricio “Pitbull” Freire. The Team Nogueira fighter’s lone defeat came at the hands of UFC veteran Willamy “Chiquerim” Freire via unanimous decision. The five-year veteran is currently riding a three-fight winning streak.

Carey Vanier (10-3) competed in Bellator’s Season 2 lightweight tournament, advancing to the semifinals before losing to Toby Imada. He has since defeated UFC veteran Rich Clementi in non-tourney action. The NCAA Division III All-American wrestler recently moved to Albuquerque to train under the tutelage of Greg Jackson.

Lloyd “Cupcake” Woodard (10-0) has only been fighting professionally for a couple of years, but he already has a solid resume. The former high school wrestler has defeated veterans Ryan Healy and Alonzo Martinez, and has stopped eight of his 10 foes. The Montana native trains out of the Dog Pound Fight Team, but has also spent time as a sparring partner for UFC veteran Jeremy Stephens.

Marcin Held (10-1) is only 19-years-old, but already has more than two years of professional MMA experience under his belt. The Polish fighter won his first eight fights before tasting defeat. He has bounced back from his lone loss to add two more wins to his record, including an injury TKO of Pride veteran Jean Silva. The Gracie Barra Bastion Tychy fighter is a brown belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and has won numerous grappling and jiu-jitsu competitions in Poland.

Michael Chandler (5-0) might only have five professional fights, but he’s no stranger to the sport’s larger stages. He has twice emerged victorious under the Strikeforce banner and has already notched two wins inside the Bellator cage. The Xtreme Couture fighter is a one-time NCAA Division I All-American wrestler who served as a team captain of the wrestling team at the University of Missouri.

Toby Imada (28-15) is no stranger to the Bellator lightweight tournament. In addition to his highlight reel inverted triangle choke against Jorge Masvidal, Imada has made his name under the Bellator banner by twice advancing to the lightweight tournament finals. He was unsuccessful in both bouts, losing to Eddie Alvarez in the inaugural lightweight tourney and to Pat Curran in his second time through the bracket. Imada has posted one win outside of Bellator since the loss to Curran. The black belt judoka trains out of the Throwdown Elite Training Center.

Josh Shockley (6-0) punched his ticket into the tournament as late as possible – even after weighing in. Shockley was slated to fight on the undercard, but when Ferrid Kheder apparently was going to miss weight, he opted to leave the building and not weigh in at all, leaving Shockley to face Imada. Shockley trains out of Duneland Vale Tudo and stands 6-foot-2. The former Hoosier has a background in wrestling and has finished all but one of his opponents. He has not competed since Sept. 2009.

Kheder has competed professionally for more than four years, but this was to be his first appearance in a major organization.

Quarterfinal Match-ups

Rob McCullough vs. Patricky Freire
Carey Vanier vs. Lloyd Woodard
Marcin Held vs. Michael Chandler
Josh Shockley vs. Toby Imada

The Favorite

He might sport the least impressive record of the bunch, but there’s no denying that Imada has a knack for advancing to the Bellator lightweight tournament finals. While he faces another tough roster this season, especially with the one-day notice of taking on Shockley, it’s hard to bet against someone who has already run the gauntlet twice. He has experience and has found a format that suits him.

Perhaps the third time will be the charm. And if not, count whomever defeats Imada as a strong favorite to take the Season 4 tournament championship.

The Sleeper

Lloyd Woodard trains out of an obscure camp, but the undefeated prospect has already notched some big wins. The tournament bracket is another step up in competition for “Cupcake,” but it’s not a reach to envision him winning against any of the seven potential opponents he could face over the course of this tourney.

The Underdog

Shockley’s extremely late entry into the tournament and his first round match-up with the bracket’s most experienced member makes the Duneland Vale Tudo fighter the tourney’s long shot. Shockley has been inactive for more than a year and was preparing for an undercard bout at the event. Late replacements can sometimes play huge spoilers, but this isn’t likely one of those instances.

The Quarterfinal Fight to Watch

The quarterfinal battle between Marcin Held and Michael Chandler offers an intriguing look into two of the bracket’s young and promising competitors.

Chandler has fought for Strikeforce and Bellator in the past, but is still relatively new to the sport with only five fights under his belt. The experience on a big stage should help ease any jitters, but he isn’t battle-tested and will have to prove himself as he enters the tournament as the field’s least experienced combatant.

Despite being the tourney’s only teenager, Held actually holds the experience advantage over the 24-year-old Chandler. He has just as much to prove as Chandler, only with a lot more weight on his shoulders.

Held has a grappling background and a great record, but any fighter who has competed exclusively in one country in Europe has to answer a number of questions upon stepping into the cage with non-European competition.

Can Held handle the wrestling of fighters like Chandler and Vanier? Does he have the skills to compete against guys who train out of elite programs such as Xtreme Couture and Team Tompkins? How will the pressures of being the “the prodigy of Polish MMA” affect the youngster as he journeys outside of Poland for the first time in his career, competing an ocean away from his homeland while also facing high expectations from America’s MMA fanbase and journalists?

The answers to these questions could prove that Held is ready to prove the hype, or it could result in a quick exit from the tournament.

The Other Tournaments

Bellator still has two more tournaments kicking off this season. We’ll look at the featherweight bracket next Saturday and the light heavyweights the week after.

Michael Chandler: “This was my first training camp”

Bellator lightweight tournament competitor, Michael Chandler, enjoys weekly meetings with a potential UFC champion.

“Me and Gray Maynard get together at least once a week,” Chandler told MMA DieHards in an interview. “(We) try to do some wrestling and some drills. I’m really trying to learn a lot from him, because in my opinion he’s going to be the champ of the UFC real soon. I’ve got a lot to learn, and he’s really helped me out a lot.”

Chandler has an elite squad of training partners and coaches at Xtreme Couture, and the University of Missouri wrestler acknowledges that Maynard is not the only person he can rely on to help him prepare for his fight at Bellator 36.

“I’ve been working with Gilbert Martinez (Xtreme Couture’s boxing coach) for a solid six months,” Chandler explained. “I’ve been working with my grappling coach Neil Melanson, and obviously my training partners. Jay Hieron is in the tournament, plus Martin Kampmann, Mike Pyle, Tyson Griffin, Evan Dunham, and of course, Gray Maynard.”

Chandler owns an undefeated record of 5-0, he has finished every fight by way of knockout or submission, and he has only seen the second round once in his career. That is expected from the caliber of fighters that Xtreme Couture houses, but Chandler has not always had the luxury of a training camp such as the one that XC provides.

“This has been the first training camp I have ever had in my life,” Chandler admitted. “The last six to eight weeks we have been getting my conditioning going and sparring two days a week, and just really going hard with all the guys. I help them out and they help me out, it’s been a really awesome ride.”

Given that Chandler has knockout power in his hands, and his two submission wins were both chokes, it is evident that the Xtreme Couture fighter is harnessing some serious power in those arms. Chandler credits it to the wrestling experience he gained at Mizzou.

“I wouldn’t say that I’m known for my cardio,” Chandler explained. “But, even in my wrestling career it was in your face for seven minutes, I was always able to push the pace on people. Even people who are technically better than me, or more experienced, or on paper they were better than me, I would get wins because I was able to push harder. I have taken that over to MMA, and it’s not that I want it to happen, but if I do have to take someone into the third round, I know I’m more fresh than them and in better condition, it’s a mental thing.”

Chandler’s endurance has always been there, but it is something he continually works to improve.

“Gil Martinez took control of my training camp and he would put me through treadmill sprints and some heart rate stuff. For cardio I did a lot of light weight reps, and muscular endurance, more than strength because I feel I’m pretty strong for my weight class. We did some cool, new-age stuff and some stuff I have never done before. Also, sparring hard for five and six rounds on Tuesdays and Thursdays, so I know if I have to go three rounds with this guy, or any guy in the tournament, I know I’m ready to push the pace.”

The man Chandler will face at Bellator 36 is a jiu-jitsu fighter by the name of Marcin Held. The 19-year-old Polish fighter owns a record of 10-1 thus far in his professional career. Though Chandler does not know a ton of information about his opponent, he still knows enough about Held to prepare properly for the bout.

“There’s quite a bit of film on him,” Chandler said. “If you YouTube his name, he’s got three or four fights on there, he’s got some grappling matches. I know he’s a young kid out of Poland who is pretty much a jiu-jitsu guy, and he’s looking to finish guys with submissions. I don’t think his standup is a strength of his, he’s looking to go out there and roll with guys and look for submissions.”

Chandler feels a ground grappler like Held plays right into his style of fighting.

“I think my strength of being a good wrestler and being able to control guys on the ground kind of plays well into that,” Chandler said. “I’ve been working with Gilbert Martinez on my hands as well, so I think my stand up is going to be superior to his. I’m really confident going into this fight, I’m ready to put on a show and make a statement. I’m ready to show the world that I’m here.”

This interview was conducted a few short hours before Chandler was scheduled to weigh-in for Bellator 36, and with the positive attitude he employs approaching his turn to the scale, I believe he is prepared for this scrap.

“I woke up this morning four pounds over,” Chandler explained. “I’m about to go over to the work-out facility that’s here, and cut the weight. The cut has been great so far; I had a great camp and great coaches to help. As long as I diet and watch my sodium intake, the weight comes off pretty easy. This time it worked out better than I thought it would because it’s my first time making 155, but I’m in good spirits right now, and I’ll cut these last couple of pounds, then weigh in and get this show on the road.”

Chandler is mentally and physically prepared for his bout at Bellator 36, and no one can predict the outcome of the fight, but now we all know what he will be doing next week. Training with Gray Maynard.

MMA Fitness: TRX Band and Kettlebell exercises

by Chris Rosati on March 10, 2011 1:00:05 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 4 Comments »

In part three of the MMA Fitness “Become a Fighter Without Fighting” series, Chris Rosati demonstrates some exercises and training examples using TRX bands and Kettlebells. Check out part two of the series, last week’s The Three Pillars of Training, for additional information on TRX bands, Kettlebells and sandbags. Also, be sure to read part one of the series, Become a Fighter Without Fighting, to learn more about starting a MMA fitness program.

TRX Atomic Push-up:

TRX Lunge to Kettlebell Press:

Kettlebell Juggling:

TRX Back Sprawl:

Kettlebell Snatch:

Chris is the founder of Training With Balance Fitness Systems and graduated with his Bachelor of Science degree from Queens College University in 2009 with a major in physical education. He is certified from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and is certified as a mixed martial arts conditioning coach from the National Exercise and Sport Trainers Association (NESTA). Currently, he is a personal trainer on Long Island, N.Y.

Ryan Ford: A Story of Redemption

by Bryan Henderson on March 10, 2011 8:00:31 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Ryan Ford (r) (photo courtesy of Sherdog)

The past can be a dark place, a fact Canadian mixed martial artist Ryan “The Real Deal” Ford knows all too well.

On Jan. 6, 2003, at the age of 20, Ford joined two other men in carrying out a violent home invasion in Abbotsford, Alberta, Canada. The trio showed up on the doorstep of an Abbotsford family, reportedly in an effort to collect a debt. They threatened the man of the house at gunpoint, while also assaulting his wife as she tried to call 911. Ford’s role in the attack included nearly cutting two of the man’s fingers completely off.

“Growing up, being a kid, I was always hanging around with the wrong people,” Ford regretfully admitted in an interview with MMA DieHards. “(I) got caught up in the wrong situation.”

It was a choice that cost Ford four years in prison.

It has also cost Ford in the eyes of many MMA fans, as evidenced by a glance at any message board conversation discussing Ford’s potential future in the UFC. Any talk of Ford’s merits is overshadowed by his detractors pointing to the crime as sufficient reason to deliver final judgment on him.

Ford claims he’s a changed man now. Instead of taking part in such activities, he works hard to share his experiences with today’s youth in the hopes of preventing others from choosing a similar path. He has worked with Prestige Athletics and Learning and spreads the message during his visits to schools about the effects of these bad decisions.

“My life’s on a different path now,” Ford stated. “I go and I talk to kids at schools. I go talk to kids at troubled youth shelters and kids who are going down the wrong road in life, and I’m pretty much trying to help them steer back on the right way and let them know that ain’t the way to go.”

Family has also changed Ford for the better. He looks at life and his career in a different light now, as he upholds his responsibilities as a father to his two-year-old daughter Bella and his nine-week-old son Ryan Jr. Any parent can attest to the changes that can be brought about by just one look at their children, and Ford is no different.

“It makes me look at life not for myself,” Ford said. “I have a family to feed now. These are the people that I live for and I’m going to make sure I’m there for them 100 percent.”

If his current actions speak for him, they’re saying he deserves a second chance.

The past can be a thing better left alone, something Ford believes when it comes to his infamous feud with Maximum Fighting Championship president, and Ford’s former manager, Mark Pavelich.

Ford fought his first professional fight under the MFC banner in 2007, and has spent the majority of his career with the organization. However, Ford and the MFC head have had a couple of well-publicized fallings-out, the most recent of which resulted in Ford leaving the promotion to sign with Aggression MMA.

The disputes have come over Ford’s contract and compensation, though the arguments have often turned ugly. However, Ford would rather look forward than reflect on his not-so-positive experiences with Pavelich.

“I’d rather just talk about being with Aggression and don’t give MFC any face time,” Ford admitted. “They had their time with me and blew that chance.”

The future is still to be written, and Ford hopes it will be a place filled with light, rather than darkness.

A former high school football player, Ford tried boxing before eventually turning to mixed martial arts.

“I figured out boxing wasn’t related to my style – I like to get in there and use everything that I can do,” he explained. “I’ve been watching UFC from the beginning and always thought, ‘Yo, I wanted to do that,’ but I was always putting it to the backseat to football. Now I’m in there and I’m loving it. That’s what I do to pay my bills, feed my family.”

His time in the MFC, and in other promotions including The Fight Club, yielded impressive results. Ford tallied 13 victories against just three defeats over the course of three-and-a-half years and has put himself on the map as a top 170-pound prospect. He has finished his opponents in all but one of his wins, but has suffered three tough defeats.

The welterweight has twice succumbed to submissions, once at the hands of Pat Healy and once against Douglas Lima. He was defeated a second time by Healy, with the fight ending in a split decision. While those three fights might have resulted in losses, Ford sees them as the three most beneficial outings of his career.

“You win some, you lose some and you only gain knowledge from the ones that you lose,” Ford theorizes. “Everytime you win, I don’t really think you pick up too much of the things that you did good.”

In that sense, his three losses have allowed “The Real Deal” to realize what he needs to work on to improve his chances in the ring.

“The second loss (to Healy) that we went to a decision, I felt like I did good that whole fight. I should have kept it standing more,” submits Ford in analysis of his defeats. “The first fight I lost to Pat Healy was pretty much my inexperience in the fight game; I was a raw fighter.

“And with Douglas Lima, I think the one thing that I just needed to learn is to stick to a game plan. I feel that if I would have kept the fight standing, I would have won that fight.”

An entrepreneur with his own apparel line, G’d Up Clothing, Ford’s business sense has led him away from the MFC following his latest clash with Pavelich and to a new home with Aggression MMA. He has a four-fight contract that gives the organization exclusive rights to him within the confines of Edmonton. Beyond those boundaries, Ford can fight wherever he chooses.

“I’m open to – if it doesn’t conflict with the Aggression card – if anybody else wants me, I can come and fight,” Ford said.

He’s still waiting for his paperwork to clear the way for him to compete in the United States, but is hopeful that the UFC’s ventures abroad will open the door for him to make his Octagon debut in spite of that roadblock.

“UFC does fights in Canada and they do them overseas, the only spot is in the U.S.,” he said. “Now that they’ve been coming to Canada a lot and fighting overseas, I can travel all those places.”

Until that day comes, his focus is set on Aggression MMA and his March 11 fight with Johnny Davis, set to take place in Edmonton. While Davis’ name might not be as familiar to fight fans as Ford’s, the welterweight is 13-4 according to Sherdog’s fighter database and poses a unique challenge for Ford.

“(I’m) coming in pretty much blinded, without being able to do any research on him,” Ford explained. “He’s got a good record. … He’s been to a few decisions.

“(I) don’t know much about him, so I guess I’ll get to find out what he’s got to bring to the table on Friday night.”

Despite the lack of information on Davis, Ford is confident in his own game plan.

“I think that he’s going to have to follow my pace and fight the fight that I’m going to put on him,” Ford said.

A product of the Zugec Ultimate Martial Arts gym, which is also home to former Strikeforce women’s champion Sarah Kaufman, the welterweight has been training for his upcoming bout in Edmonton under the tutelage of Hayabusa Training Center instructor Paulo Azambuja, who earned his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt under renowned practitioner Roberto “Cyborg” Abreu.

“Training for this fight has been going good,” said Ford. “I’ve been training with a lot of guys out in Edmonton. I’m going two times a day, training hard. I’ll be ready for Friday night. I’m looking to finish it early in the first round, but if it has to go three, my gas is there, always.”

For Ryan Ford, the past cannot be changed. All he can do is move forward and redeem himself as best as he can.

Outside the ring, that means turning his past transgressions into a model for what kids should not do.

Inside the ring, that means learning from past mistakes to transform himself into the best fighter possible as he seeks a chance to step into the Octagon and someday compete for the UFC welterweight title.

Ryan Ford would like to thank his sponsors Full Tilt Poker, Headrush and TapouT, and his new manager Jason House at Iridium Sports Agency.

Sarah Kaufman says Megumi Yabushita likely opponent for April 2 AFC fight

by Joe Rizzo on March 9, 2011 11:41:29 PM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Sarah Kaufman (Esther Lin/Strikeforce)

Sarah Kaufman is not taking things lightly in her step outside Strikeforce.

Kaufman on Wednesday told Rear Naked Choke Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network that she is likely to face 39-year-old Japanese veteran Megumi Yabushita (19-17) for the Armageddon Fighting Championship 135-pound belt on April 2 in her hometown of Victoria, British Columbia.

“It looks like it’s going to be Megumi Yabushita,” said Kaufman, who lost the Strikeforce belt and suffered the first defeat of her career in October when Marloes Coenen caught her in an armbar in the third round after sustaining a beating for the better part of the first two rounds. “We went through a couple of different opponents, in terms of would they take the fight, and things came up.”

Kaufman said Molly Helsel’s name arose in talks. Kaufman knocked out Helsel, a natural 125-pounder who has frequently competed up in weight, in 2008.

After losing to Coenen, there was speculation that Kaufman (12-1) might think of dropping down to 125 pounds, but she wiped away that notion.

“Absolutely (I am staying at 135),” Kaufman said. “For me, 135 is the division that I’m supposed to be in, that should be in. And it’s not a weight that I plan on leaving anytime soon. It’s one fight, and at some point I’m going to get that fight back.”

Yabushita is 0-4 in North America, including a loss to Shayna Baszler in January 2010, her most recent trip. She has been out of action since dropping a unanimous decision to Rin Nakai in June 2010 at Valkyrie 06. Yabushita has won three of her last five fights after dropping four straight and six of seven.

Kaufman has yet to watch Coenen’s narrow title defense against late replacement Liz Carmouche, which took place Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Thus far, the Canadian has read about the fight and looks forward to another shot at the belt.

“Coenen is definitely beatable,” Kaufman said. “When I fought her, it just wasn’t my fight.

“I wasn’t called (when Miesha Tate pulled out of Coenen’s title defense). And I’m not super shocked that I wasn’t called. For me, the second Kaufman-Coenen fight is a big fight, and then there’s going to be a big buildup to that fight. And a week’s notice isn’t a buildup that that fight would deserve. I wouldn’t say that I was upset that I wasn’t called, because I think Strikeforce was looking in their best interest in terms of who do we think would come in on a week’s notice. And Liz had a couple of wins in the organization and took the fight. Liz happened to be under contract and got the call. ”

Kaufman will attempt to get back into the win column for the first time since she defended the Strikeforce title in July with a slam-knockout of Roxanne Modafferi. She dominated Takayo Hashi five months earlier in a five-round match for the vacant 135-pound title. The bout with Hashi was her third Strikeforce match, after beating Tate and Baszler in her first two.

Rather than wait for Strikeforce to sort through the top of the 135-pound division, Kaufman asked for and received permission to compete outside the promotion, and elected to stay at home to do it.

Five months ago, however, the comforts of home did not do much to ease her pain after losing the belt.

“For me, I don’t like losing, obviously,” she said of the days after the Coenen fight. “I do everything I can to win a fight and just be on top in anything I do. So it was definitely hard in terms of, I knew at some point I was going to lose. But I wasn’t ready to lose.

“My coach, Adam Zugec, he took it really hard, as well. I think coaches always take on some of that responsibility of, ‘Well, is it my fault?’ I actually had to console him a little bit and say, ‘You know what? I didn’t fight a great fight’. It was really just one of those things, in the heat of the moment you’re not fighting the way you’re supposed to be fighting.”

Against Yabushita and in front of her fellow Victorians, Kaufman can begin to truly put her first and only defeat behind her.

Brian Ebersole happy to call out Hallman, Mitrione

by Joe Rizzo on March 9, 2011 1:00:04 PM in Features, Fighter Features, Radio | No Comments »

Brian Ebersole looking forward to what's next in the UFC. (photo courtesy of Heavy.com)

Brian Ebersole was satisfied even before his upset win over Chris Lytle at UFC 127 in Sydney, and it had nothing to do with the fight or even his training.

It was all about the numerology.

Ebersole joined Jeremy Fullerton and me on Rear Naked Choke Radio on the MMA DieHards Radio Network a few days after his unanimous-decision victory over Lytle, a win that earned him a Fight of the Night bonus check and, presumably, a spot down the line in the welterweight division of the UFC.

An American living in Australia who is not shy about his feelings, Ebersole explained how the numbers added up to his satisfaction heading into the event.

“Since I’ve met this recent girlfriend, we’ve noticed we’ve had some things swirling around us with regard to numerology,” a fun-loving Ebersole explained on the show. “Her favorite number is 8, my favorite number 9. Coincidentally, the room number was 918. So it had both of our favorite numbers. You add 1 and 8, it makes another 9, so there’s two nines there.

“Turn one of those nines upside down, it’s a 69. And we had the room to ourselves the first couple of nights, so that was fun. The numerology worked out really well. I went into that fight happy, and feeling the energy and feeling the love.”

Then Fullerton brilliantly deadpanned, “You don’t go out with a loaded gun,” and Ebersole’s point was made, with the benefit of a light-hearted moment.

Ebersole is a guy who took about a decade to become an overnight sensation. Part of it was the antics in and around the Octagon, from the opening-bell cartwheel kick to his now-trademarked shaved-chest-hair arrow pointing to his chin.

Ebersole beat Lytle fair and square. He got into the match because Carlos Condit got injured and Ebersole is established in Australia, where he has lived for the last four years. And now with the win, he should be having some more conversations with UFC matchmaker Joe Silva.

Without ringing Silva, Ebersole has a logical next opponent in mind.

“One guy I know I would put on a good show with is Dennis Hallman,” Ebersole said days before a knee injury forced out Hallman from his March 26 UFC Fight Night 24 appearance against T.J. Waldenburger, perhaps leaving him available for a match with Ebersole. “He’s another veteran, he’s been around a while.

“He has something over my old coach, Matt Hughes, that I’d like to go and use against him. I think it would be a good storyline; having him beat my coach back in the day and having his number, and me going and taking out a bit of revenge on him for Eastern Illinois University wrestling, against the Crazy Cowboy.”

Hughes was an assistant coach when Ebersole wrestled at Eastern Illinois at the beginning of the millennium. Before Hughes became a legendary UFC welterweight champion, he was quickly submitted by Hallman in two matches.

In case the storyline fight with Hallman does not materialize, Ebersole has another plan. For a man who has fought as high as light heavyweight, he puts aside no possibilities.

Tongue only half in cheek, he had a more emotional callout for a possible next UFC foe.

“I’ve been talking and trying to build up a fight recently,” Ebersole said. “Matt Mitrione doesn’t like the way I fight.”

Mitrione, a colorful character from the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter reality show who has gone on to success as a UFC heavyweight, was in Australia to back Lytle, and came out publicly about how he did not appreciate the way Ebersole conducted himself in and around the contest, be it for show or sportsmanship.

Mitrione confronted Ebersole behind the scenes after the fight, and then he attacked him on Twitter.

“I think Matt Mitrione has the same personality I do, so I was pretty surprised with his comments,” Ebersole said. “But I respected his comments when he came to me in person and spoke to me.

“What I didn’t enjoy was him going on Twitter and calling me a classless a-hole and questioning my professionalism. Knowing that he’s a pro football player and probably a bully his whole life, someone that would probably celebrate every single tackle, catch or yard gained that he ever made, I’m pretty surprised that he ‘celebrates’ me landing an elbow against Chris Lytle, who I’m not supposed to beat, in a fight I’m not supposed to be in, on the biggest stage.”

Ebersole did not stop short there. He even fancied the scenario in order to save Silva some work in case the UFC wants to make the fight.

“I’ll catch him at any weight I can,” Ebersole said before exacting his potential weight. “I’ll eat T-bone steaks instead of lentil patties, and I’ll weight in at 205.7 pounds. And I’ll make a heavyweight bout. I’m not really bothered. A fight’s a fight. He’s just as dangerous as any welterweight I can fight. As far as my soreness and damage the days after the fight, anybody can break your nose, bruise your leg, twist your arm and your neck. Doesn’t really matter if it’s a heavyweight or not.”

It was not enough that Ebersole had the arrow shaved into his chest in his UFC debut. He was vocal during the fight and after. He was yelling to the judges. He was gesturing and flamboyant.

When you have beat the bushes for as long as Ebersole has, it’s easy enough to ask the public for understanding with regards to the antics. After all, for every fan or fighter that loves it, there’s another that cannot stand it.

Like Mitrione.

Ebersole took time to explain his actions.

“I like to take part in all aspects of the fight, playing up to the crowd a little bit, even talking to the judges, saying, ‘Hey, that elbow landed,’ ” he explained. “That wasn’t so much for the fans, I wanted the judges to know that that one hit, hit hard, and it was one of the defining blows of the round. I want to make sure the judges score the round properly, so every now and then I tell them which ones landed.

“Not every time that you land a punch does the opponent shake his head and shake it off or acknowledge it. So I make my own scoring, my own points, when I’m having free time and I’m not getting punched out.”

His legion of Australian fans understand, and so do the new wave of Americans backers who cannot wait for his next contest, be it against Hallman, Mitrione, or someone else.

He might have to wait another year to fight again for the UFC in Australia, but Ebersole would be glad to travel anywhere in order to earn his next shot. In the mean time, he can enjoy his home Down Under and look forward to visiting America sometime soon.

“I am the happiest Amer-Australian there is,” he said, thinking about how all the numbers will add up.

But you already knew Brian Ebersole was into happy endings.

M-1 Challenge XXIII: Champions Retain, Future Title Bouts Set

by Bryan Henderson on March 5, 2011 3:58:08 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Welterweight champ Shamil Zavurov (l) and Tom Gallicchio (photo courtesy of M-1 Global)

Techno music, an appearance by MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko and a propensity to give up one’s back. Yes, we’re talking Russian MMA and M-1 Global.

The Russian promotion’s M-1 Challenge XXIII took place in Moscow today, and featured all of these standards plus some impressive performances by a number of prospects and champions.

The commonly-noted sloppy ground work was present in a number of bouts, with fighters often giving up their backs only to meet with a beating or a rear naked choke. Not a single fight made it to the judges’ scorecards in an evening of action that amounted to a Saturday morning and early afternoon show for those of us residing on the opposite side of the globe from the event’s venue in Moscow.

Two championships were on the line at the event, with both champions retaining their crowns.

M-1 heavyweight king Guram Gugenishvili put his belt on the line against M-1 Selection Eastern Europe 2010 champion Maxim Grishin.

Grishin had Gugenishvili in trouble early, rocking him and getting on top of the champion. Gugenishvili gave up his back to Grishin, but fended off the challenger until he was able to reverse positions.

The referee stood the duo up and Gugenishvili attempted a takedown that almost sent both men spilling through the ropes. After another reset, Gugenishvili scored the takedown. This time Grishin gave up his back and paid the consequences, as Gugenishvili locked in a rear naked choke for the submission win. The end came at 3:03 of the first round.

Gugenishvili remains perfect following the win, with an 11-0 record. He has now finished ten of his foes via submission, including seven by way of rear naked choke.

While Gugenishvili survived with his title reign intact, it was M-1 welterweight champion Shamil Zavurov who put on the more impressive display of the two champions.

Zavurov placed his title on the line against M-1 Selection Americas 2010 champion Tom Gallicchio.

Gallicchio came out aggressive in the first frame and was taken down for his troubles. Zavurov maintained top position for most of the round, pounding on Gallicchio while avoiding the American’s active guard.

The two exchanged on the feet to open the second round until Zavurov landed a huge right hand that dropped Gallicchio. Gallicchio attempted to recover while reaching for Zavurov’s leg, but Zavurov remained relentless until the referee had no choice but to call a stop to the fight at 1:11 of the second stanza. Zavurov retains his welterweight title with the TKO victory.

He would have to wait until later in the evening to determine who his next challenger will be.
That revelation came in the final bout of the show, when Rashid Magomedov squared off with Rafal Moks.

Moks, who relinquished his M-1 middleweight crown to make the move to welterweight, suffered a violent welcome to the division courtesy of Magomedov’s fists. The former champ persistently sought to lock in a heel hook on Magomedov, almost from the opening bell. This tactic left Moks open to eat a number of heavy blows from Magomedov, whose submission defense consisted partially of employing the ring ropes.

The punishment added up quickly, allowing Magomedov to score the TKO win when the referee stepped in to end the fight at 2:06 of the first round.

After the bout, welterweight champion Shamil Zavurov stepped into the ring and responded to Magomedov’s performance and post-fight comments. The in-ring encounter between the two sets up a title showdown for April 28. Zavurov, who sits at 14-1 over his career, suffered his only loss against Magomedov at a 2009 M-1 event and will look to avenge that lone career loss when the two meet.

Another upcoming title fight was finalized with the outcome of today’s clash between middleweights Magomed Sultanakhmedov and Plinio Cruz.

The fight, which kicked off the main card of the event, saw Sultanakhmedov score an early takedown and control Cruz on the mat for the better portion of the opening round. The “White Wolf” was ineffective with his ground-and-pound however, leading to an eventual standup and the two fighters ending the round in a clinch against the ropes.

The second stanza began with the fighters exchanging kicks and punches until Cruz shot in for a takedown. Cruz’s move turned out to be a fatal mistake, as Sultanakhmedov sprawled, stuffing the takedown and taking Cruz’s back in the process. From there, Sultanakhmedov rained down blow after blow to the side of Cruz’s head until the referee called a halt to the bout at 1:11 of the second round.

Sultanakhmedov, now 15-5 over his career, will step into the ring again on March 25 to fight Tyson Jeffries for the vacant middleweight crown. That bout will be part of M-1 Challenge’s first event to air live on the Showtime network in the United States.

In the other main card fight, lightweight Mairbek Taisumov improved to 14-3 with a second-round TKO victory over Yuri Ivlev.

The two warriors kicked off their fight exchanging on their feet. Taisumov opened a cut over Ivlev’s eye early in the round and took Ivlev’s back when the fight shifted to the mat. But it was short-lived, as Ivlev reversed positions and spent the remainder of the round pounding on Taisumov from top position.

The second round opened with both fighters looking to land big shots in the standup. Taisumov was the first to effectively connect, knocking Ivlev down and pouncing on him to follow-up with additional strikes. The referee stepped in to stop the fight at 1:42 of the second stanza, awarding Taisumov with the win.

Earlier in the evening, heavyweight Arsen Abdulkerimov had little trouble dealing with a 70-plus pound weight disadvantage, as he was able to dominate the larger Goncalo Salgado.

Abdulkerimov knocked Salgado down early and maneuvered into mount, pounding on Salgado while also attacking with submissions. He captured one of Salgado’s arms to finish the big man via armbar at the 2:29 mark of the first frame.

The bout between lightweights Daniel Weichel and Magomedrasul Khasbulaev ended in a somewhat controversial submission finish. Weichel locked in a triangle choke in the first round, and the referee stepped in to stop the bout despite the lack of a clear tapout. Khasbulaev argued the stoppage and refused to come out of his corner for the announcement of the winner. The end came at 3:13 of the opening stanza.

Light heavyweights Igor Savelyev and Byron Byrd engaged in a back-and-forth first round that saw both fighters spend time in top position. The most significant action came near the end of the round, as Byrd fended off a rear naked choke attempt and reversed into top position to finish out the round.

The second round saw Savelyev score takedowns and work for submissions. The sambo specialist secured an arm-trangle choke to submit Byrd at 2:12 of the second stanza.

While light heavyweight Shamil Tinagadjiev had early success in the standup against Tomasz Narkun, he could not capitalize and finish Narkun. As the first round progressed, Narkun began to shift the momentum. Narkun eventually locked in a triangle choke to coax a tapout from Tinagadjiev.

Despite not being listed as a portion of the live streamed card, the two fights designated as the “Under Card” of M-1 Challenge XXIII made it onto the broadcast after all.

In lightweight action, Nikolai Kaushansky defeated Vusal Bayramov via first-round rear naked choke.

In the light heavyweight division, Magomed Ismailov turned in an impressive performance, utilizing slams and ground-and-pound to dominate Maxim Bulakhtin before finishing Bulakhtin with a second-round rear naked choke.

In Their Own Words: The Bisping Spitting Incident, Penn-Fitch, Sanchez-Kampmann

by Jason Kelly on March 5, 2011 1:00:26 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Bisping (l) and Rivera exchange words post-fight (photo courtesy of Tracy Lee/Yahoo! Sports)

“No, not at all. I was spitting on the floor to let him know what I thought of him,” – Michael Bisping denies allegations of what appeared like he spit on Jorge Rivera’s boxing coach following their UFC 127 dispute.

“Michael Bisping is in trouble right now. Michael Bisping is a guy who I liked and have had a good relationship with since the Ultimate Fighter. I’m very disappointed in the way that he conducted himself during that fight. I think the knee was intentional. I think he did do it on purpose. I think he saw (Jorge Rivera) in that position, he looked at him and threw the knee and obviously I don’t like what he did after the fighter either. Mike and I still need to talk and I’ll figure out what’s next for Michael Bisping.” – Dana White’s comments about the unsportsmanlike behavior of Bisping at UFC 127.

“On my way to the airport going back to Vegas I am looking forward to fight (Michael) Bisping on May card I need to fight soon I want to get busy,” – Vitor Belfort requests a crack at Bisping via Twitter.

“I know I have the skill, I know I have a lot of things, (and) I know I have the fire. Some mornings I wake up and I want to just kill everybody, but sometimes you think about your daughter and you think about different things, so a bunch of things run through your head and your mind changes from time to time. I don’t know what I’m going to do.” – B.J. Penn states that he is unsure of his future, following his fight at UFC 127 against Jon Fitch that ended in a majority draw.

“I didn’t think it was a draw. I looked at the scorecards and the two judges who had it a draw scored the first two rounds for Penn and the third round a 10-8 [for Fitch],” – Dana White clearly believes B.J. Penn beat Jon Fitch at UFC 127.

“Is something hanging in my eye?” – Chris Tuchscherer to the referee during his fight with Mark Hunt at UFC 127.
“Yeah, it’s your eyelid,” the referee responded.

“I love that fact that people see something good in me. People see the potential that I have and see that I’m working with my potential. And actually using this talent that I have and not just banking on being an athlete. And I truly believe it’s my time, so I feel as if it’s already done. And the people who picked me to win, they’ll be saying ‘I told you so’.” – Jon Jones feels his time is now.

“Georges St. Pierre should stay in his division, because if he moves up he’d have much headache. St. Pierre is a strategic fighter. Besides being very dangerous, Anderson is also strategic, so he has two weapons. Anderson has an advantage over St. Pierre because of his reach and game, he has a more efficient Muay Thai and a tough ground game, Anderson will be prepared for him,” – Anderson Silva’s boxing trainer Josuel Distak suggests GSP should stay in the welterweight division.

“There’s going to be two brands of MMA that succeed in Ontario. You can write this down, and in three or four years, when we’re sitting back here again, you’ll say, ‘yeah, he was right’. It will be the MFC and UFC that last in Ontario, the rest will all die. Mark it down, I guarantee you.” – President and CEO of MFC, Mark Pavelich, makes a bold prediction for the future of Ontario MMA at the MFC 29 press conference.

“You know what, I’m feeling the pure ecstasy of having a war, you know what I mean? A lot of UFC fighters, we dream about going in there and finishing a fight in the first round, but it’s the fights like I had tonight that, when you’re an old man, you’re like, ‘Yeah, yeah, that was a war’. When I’m like 65 I can call Martin Kampmann and be like, ‘Remember when we threw those hooks in the ring?’ Those are the wars and the ones you don’t forget.” – Diego Sanchez speaks on his and Martin Kampmann’s unforgettable fight at UFC on Versus 3.

“These guys are going to make a lot of money for fighting like that. They’re going to get paid. That was an awesome, awesome fight. They’re going to get paid for that,” – Dana White hints at the extra compensation Diego Sanchez and Martin Kampmann would receive for their epic war at UFC on Versus 3.

“I didn’t find a venue that we thought would work for everybody, so we decided to move it. We’re in a situation now where we have a good three-and-a-half to four months to promote the fight and do a great job of having a shot of driving the rating and driving attendance,” – Strikeforce President Scott Coker explains why the Heavyweight Grand Prix is delayed.

“This is a fight everyone has been waiting for,” – Strikeforce President Scott Coker on the upcoming welterweight championship fight between Paul Daley and Strikeforce champ Nick Diaz.

“I just love to watch the fights,” – Arnold Schwarzenegger expressed his love for MMA at the Strikeforce media event.

The Closing Bell: Bellator Welterweight Tournament Preview

by Bryan Henderson on March 5, 2011 8:00:31 AM in Features, Fighter Features | No Comments »

Jay Hieron (Bellator photo)

Bellator’s fourth season gets underway tonight, and it’s all about the welterweights in the promotion’s season opener, Bellator 35. Eight men will compete for a chance to challenge current champion Ben Askren for the 170-pound belt.

Bellator heads to Lemoore, Calif., and the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino for the welterweight tournament’s quarterfinal round. The season opener also marks Bellator’s move to live events airing on MTV2, with the action kicking off at 9 p.m. ET/PT on the network.

Rather than just previewing one night’s worth of action in the tournament, we’re going to preview the entire bracket. So, let’s get started.

The Competitors

Lyman Good (10-1) is the former Bellator welterweight champion. He claimed the belt in the promotion’s first welterweight tournament, but was dethroned by Season 2 tourney winner Ben Askren. The IFL veteran trains out of Team Tiger Schulmann in Manhattan, where he is also an instructor. Good started his career with 10 wins, but he now looks to bounce back from his first career loss.

Jay Hieron (19-4) is the only fighter in the bracket to reside in the USA Today/SB Nation Consensus MMA Rankings, currently sitting in the No. 17 spot. The Xtreme Couture fighter was a state wrestling champion in high school and a national junior college wrestling champion at Nassau Community College in Long Island. He is a veteran of the UFC, IFL and Strikeforce, rising to top contender status in the latter but never being afforded the opportunity to fight for the title. Hieron is on a seven-fight winning streak dating back to 2007.

Dan Hornbuckle (22-3) was a finalist in the Season 2 welterweight tournament, losing in the finals to Askren, who went on to capture Bellator’s welterweight championship. The American Top Team fighter is a veteran of Sengoku and Bodog Fight and holds a purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. The American Indian was on a six-fight winning streak prior to his loss to Askren, but has since bounced back with a unanimous decision victory over Brad Blackburn.

Rick Hawn (9-0) was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic judo team, placing ninth at the games. He is a highly decorated judoka who began his professional MMA career in January 2009. The Team Sityodtong fighter has finished seven of his foes via knockout or TKO and holds a victory over UFC veteran Shonie Carter. He has fought once under the Bellator banner in non-tourney action, putting on an impressive display against LeVon Maynard at Bellator 33 to qualify into this tournament.

Jim Wallhead (21-5) was slated to compete in Bellator’s Season 2 tournament, but the eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland left the Team Rough House fighter grounded in England on the week of his scheduled quarterfinal bout. The judo black belt, who trained under Olympic silver medalist Neil Adams, has competed under the Bellator banner in non-tourney action, claiming a unanimous decision over UFC veteran Ryan Thomas at Bellator 32. The win extended his current winning streak to eight fights dating back to 2008.

Chris Lozano (6-0) is another fighter who has competed for Bellator in non-tourney action only. He defeated UFC veteran Yoshiyuki Yoshida via TKO at Bellator 31 and also owns a TKO victory over UFC vet Jason Dent. “The Assassin” holds a red belt in taekwondo, a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, wrestled at the NCAA Division I level and has also boxed professionally on one occasion, resulting in a decision loss. He has finished all of his opponents, including four by way of first-round knockout.

Anthony Lapsley (19-4) is a former state wrestling champion who trains out of Team Cobra. Lapsley is actually a replacement for Steve Carl, who was originally slated for the tournament but was forced to withdraw. In his lone Bellator appearance, which came in 2009, Lapsley submitted Ryan Williams. He has also competed under the ShoXC banner and is currently on a four-fight winning streak dating back to 2009.

Brent Weedman (17-5-1) already has three Bellator bouts under his belt, though none have come in tournament action. The Team Haycraft fighter defeated Jacob McClintock at Bellator 30, and also holds victories over Rudy Bears and John Troyer under the promotion’s banner. Weedman is a former AFL welterweight champion, defeating Douglas Lima to claim the belt. The victory, which came in 2008, kicked off his current nine-fight winning streak. Weedman’s losses include some notable names, such as current UFC lightweight contender Gray Maynard and fellow tournament participants Hornbuckle and Lapsley.

Quarterfinal Match-ups

Jay Hieron vs. Anthony Lapsley
Lyman Good vs. Chris Lozano
Dan Hornbuckle vs. Brent Weedman
Rick Hawn vs. Jim Wallhead

The Favorite

As a former champion who has traveled this road before, Good has to be considered a tournament favorite. However, it’s hard to give him the honors with someone like Hieron in the bracket. Good’s path to the title did not contain the high level competition that is present in this go-around, and his loss to Askren leaves us to wonder how he’ll fare against fighters like Hieron, Hornbuckle, Hawn or Wallhead.

Meanwhile, Hieron’s lengthy resume includes wins over Jake Ellenberger, Pat Healy, Delson Heleno and Joe Riggs. He’s a battle-tested veteran who already climbed the ladder to contender status in Strikeforce. Hieron has the proven track record and the skills to conquer this bracket, though it won’t be a cakewalk.

The Sleeper

While it’s hard to consider Hawn a sleeper, he does fall in that middle ground between the tournament’s seasoned veteran favorites and the underdogs. Hawn has a championship pedigree from his judo background, and has used those skills in combination with his fists to overwhelm opponents. He might be one of the least-experienced combatants in this tournament, but he has the tools to turn the bracket into his coming-out party on the national stage. Hawn can hope to follow in the footsteps of another former Olympic judoka, Bellator middleweight champion Hector Lombard.

The Underdog

Three fighters can be placed in contention for the crown of the biggest underdog in this tournament.

Lapsley has the biggest uphill battle of the quarterfinal round, thanks to his matchup with Hieron, arguably the bracket’s top seed, and Lapsley’s short- notice for the fight. Weedman has not experienced much success against high-level foes in his career and also carries losses against a couple of the other fighters in the tournament. And Lozano brings the least experience to the tournament.

So, who takes the honors? The answer is Lapsley.

Lapsley and Hornbuckle already hold wins over Weedman, but Weedman has upset Lima and notched a win over McClintock. His loss to Lapsley came as a result of a cut, so it doesn’t carry as much weight as it would seem in this analysis. While there’s no doubt that Weedman is also facing tough odds in this bracket, he has proven himself against tougher competition than Lapsley.

Lozano might not have the experience, but he has posted two wins over UFC-caliber competition and could end up in a slugfest against Good in the opening round. While also an underdog, the wild card of Lozano’s ability to knock opponents out keeps him a step ahead of Lapsley.

Lapsley’s opening round matchup and an underwhelming resume leave the late replacement on the bottom of the list when choosing an underdog.

The Quarterfinal Fight to Watch

This is such an intriguing bracket that we can’t just have one fight to watch, so instead there are two.

Hawn’s quarterfinal matchup with Wallhead pits the tournament’s two judo aces against one another. Hawn has the Olympic experience, while Wallhead was trained by an Olympian. Both are black belts in the martial art, but the edge has to go to Hawn. Still, we’re looking at the one man who has the best chance of nullifying Hawn’s judo with judo of his own.

The other interesting fight matches Good against the bracket’s least experienced member, Lozano. Lozano has come up with a couple of big wins recently, but they have been due to retirement and doctor’s stoppage rather than clean knockouts. We have to look back to Lozano’s lower-level opponents to find those more decisive outcomes. Still, Good is coming off the first loss of his career and has only fought once since June 2009, so it’s hard to know what to expect out of him.

The Other Tournaments

Bellator also has featherweight, lightweight and light heavyweight tournaments slated for its fourth season. We’ll preview those in future editions of Closing Bell.

Jay Hieron: Training Mind and Body

by Jason Kelly on March 4, 2011 4:00:27 PM in Features, Fighter Features | 1 Comment »

Bellator 35 takes place Saturday in Lemoore, Calif., and welterweight Jay “The Thorobred” Hieron is ecstatic to make his debut under the Bellator banner, and show them what he can do.

“I’m definitely excited,” Hieron told MMA DieHards. “I think Bellator is going to come and in the future (there) will be big things for them. They got the MTV2 deal, which is huge. We’re in over 80 million homes. I’m ready and it’s a great time for me to be a part of it.”

Hieron has been in the upper echelon of welterweights for quite some time, and when he was with Strikeforce, there were talks of a title shot. Hieron unquestionably deserved an opportunity to challenge for the strap. He has won seven consecutive fights, over guys like Joe Riggs and Jason High, plus he comes in to finish fights. The proof is a 19-4 record that consists of six TKO victories and five submission wins.

Once Hieron became a free agent and Strikeforce did not make a push to re-sign him and grant a title shot to the Xtreme Couture fighter, he moved on to greener pastures.

“I sat so long because I was under contract,” Hieron stated. “My fight contract was up, but they had a clause on me. (Strikeforce) had a deal on the table for me, but we were going in different directions. I signed for a title fight, it didn’t happen; long story short, I’m signed with Bellator now, and I’m excited.”

Considering the tear Hieron is currently on, it was no surprise when every major MMA promotion pursued the standout welterweight, and even though the UFC was looking at him for a return, it was Bellator that enticed him the most.

“I come from a tournament-style background,” Hieron noted. “I was a part of that IFL Grand Prix; I won that, so I kind of like that tournament format. You win, you move forward. That’s the kind of style I like, so that was a big selling point. Also the MTV2 (deal) is great. I think these guys are going about promoting the organization in a good way.”

Hieron also commends Bellator President and CEO Bjorn Rebney for creating their own identity, and not trying to be the UFC.

“They’re not trying to compete with the UFC,” said Hieron. “If you try to compete with the UFC, those are the big dogs, they crush you. You definitely have to do it in small doses and build your brand first before you try to come out and go head-to-head with them. They definitely are the pioneers, they are the best, they did what they had to do to get where they’re at. If you going to follow a regimen, you’ve got to follow it that way. I think Bjorn is a real sharp guy, and he’s doing it that way. Small baby steps to get to the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”

Given that this is Hieron’s first fight under the Bellator banner, the difference in promotions does not standout as of yet, but he is happy with what he has noticed thus far.

“This is my first fight so I can’t say much, but I can see that (Rebney) is sharp,” Hieron said. “He’s building his brand, and it’s something I’m happy to be a part of right now. In the future we’ll see, but for right now, I’m happy.”

Happiness might have been what kept Hieron positive when his original opponent for Bellator 35 was injured in training. Hieron was forced to change up his training camp when Anthony Lapsley stepped in for the injured Steve Carl less than a month before the scheduled fight.

“What was good was that Steve Carl likes to switch stances a lot, so I was pretty much training for a right-handed and a left-handed guy,” Hieron said. “I switched over to a straight southpaw because that’s what Anthony is. He’s a tough guy, he’s no pushover, (and) he comes to fight. I’m ready for whomever, really, I’m in tremendous shape and I’m counting down the days. I’m getting my weight down and getting ready to go out and put on a show.”

Training at Xtreme Couture covers everything Hieron could possibly need, and the superstar welterweight considers himself extremely fortunate to have the ability to train alongside Randy Couture, Ron Frazier, Vitor Belfort and a laundry list of former champions and top-level fighters with a plethora of experience.

“I did my full camp at XC,” Hieron told MMA DieHards. “That’s my home, that’s where I train, I’ve been at that place since Day One, and that’s where I’m most comfortable. If I need a different type of look, if I’m fighting somebody and we don’t have that style in the gym, then I bring somebody in. I don’t have to go anywhere, God bless. A lot of guys have to travel, (but) I have my great gym in my backyard.”

Hieron is in shape and ready to fight. He is focused on the fight that lies before him, and not distracted by outside interferences such as impressing his new bosses.

“I don’t feed into stuff like that,” Hieron explained. “I’m going to go out and do my job, I’m prepared 100 percent, and I’m going to go out and do me. I try not to put any extra pressure on me, even though there’s always pressure, but the little extra stuff, I try not to pay attention to. I train my mind just as much as my body, and I’m going to go out there on fight night, and do what I do.”

Hieron brings star power to Bellator. He is a fantastic fighter to watch, plus there’s a certain swagger about “The Thorobred” that makes him unique.

To be a great asset to any MMA organization, a fighter must win in an exciting fashion, be marketable and an all-around good guy.

Bellator has a great asset in Hieron

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