bellatormma

Gabriel Varga has held Kickboxing world titles at featherweight in Bellator and Glory. Varga is exploring free agency and covered several subjects with me such as:

-getting back into the gym for the first time sparring in 8 months and feeling the soreness from it
-recuperation techniques for when he's feeling sore but also enjoying aspects of the soreness
-the status of where Varga is at in his processes exploring free agency so far
-pandemic hurdles with figuring out his next fight and whether it will be kickboxing or MMA
-viewing MMA as something to keep him busy between kickboxing bouts and being able to meaningfully retain jiu-jitsu knowledge throughout the pandemic with focused grappling training
-what he learned from his first MMA loss to TeeJay Britton last time out with Bellator MMA
-his family-centric training history in Victoria, BC and fighters scouring the globe for the ultimate camp
-the nuanced technique breakdowns on his Youtube channel and the benefits of teaching for refined expression of your physical tools
-dynamics of weight cut difficulties existing with the UFC's approach versus ONE Championship's approach with the hydration testing
-there being Glory and K-1 possibilities being on the radar to an extent as well for Varga
-piano playing efforts and the appreciation he has for playing music

Arlene Blencowe takes on Dayana Silva at Bellator 262. The featherweight fight goes down on Friday, July 16th live from the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Blencowe came on BTB to discuss multiple topics including: -the Australian boxing scene being hot
-a possible return to boxing being possible with Bellator MMA's Showtime broadcasts as of late
-having to pay to fight when she captured a pair of world championship titles in boxing
-her last MMA bout with Cris Cyborg and that second bid for the Bellator MMA featherweight belt
-training at Jackson Wink w/ fellow Boxing/ MMA crossovers like Claressa Shields and Holly Holm
-her first time inside a cage being when she stepped in to compete during her MMA debut
-her surprise Muay Thai debut and the redemptive nature of her second Muay Thai contest
-fighting three opponents in a single night for $100 during an MMA event in 2013
-wanting a bantamweight class within Bellator MMA and the respectful fight idea at 135 pounds with Ilima-Lei Macfarlane that was suggested between the two several months ago
-the myriad of serious injuries Blencowe has had throughout her combative career
-what aspects of her fighting approach and demeanor has endeared her to Bellator MMA fans

Kana Watanabe takes on Liz Carmouche in the Bellator 261 co-feature on Friday, June 25th. This one could very well be a flyweight title eliminator and broadcasts on Showtime.

Watanabe came on BTB to cover several subjects such as: -the feelings of fighting after nearly a year and a half out of competition and the emotions associated with hearing that split decision call
-being an undefeated MMA fighter and why Kana doesn't care as much about that spotless record
-Watanabe's ability to train in Japan and compete in America amid this global pandemic
-thoughts on her opponent Liz Carmouche's history-making resume and martial arts skillset
-Watanabe's previous bouts in Rizin FF and the pugilistic preference between a ring versus a cage
-lack of flyweight gold in DEEP Jewels/ Rizin and the motivation of Bellator having a 125 lb belt
-being a high-level judoka and the excitement of learning new combative skills within MMA
-if Bellator fans can expect any crushing of kitchenware ala her Rizin FF weigh-ins

Alex Polizzi tests skills with Gustavo Trujillo on Friday, June 11th at Bellator 260. This light heavyweight clash broadcasts on Showtime.

Polizzi came on BTB to cover several subjects including: -getting in work at Chosen Few Gym
-having Chosen Few teammate Mark Lemminger also competing at Bellator 260
-past wins and losses acting as building blocks as he looks to rebound from his first pro defeat
-Polizzi's fight mentality being focused on his own personal development and not on tape study
-being a self-professed meandering meat sack of a man and how he expresses his creativity
-the timeline of Polizzi's training partner/ friendship dynamic with WWE superstar Otis
-Polizzi being a proud son of Beloit and the support he gets from the Wisconsin town
-what music Alex Polizzi trains to and not wanting to be a curmudgeon with new genres
-his affinity for Guy Fieri and the likelihood of Flavortown's mayor walking him out to the cage
-hitting up Arbys to consume the meat mountain during his post-fight happenings

Tyree Fortune takes on Grant Neal at Bellator 259. This light heavyweight bout takes place on May 21st and broadcasts on Showtime.

Fortune came on BTB to cover several subjects ahead of this fight including:

-sparring partners he has and the sparring methodology overall at American Top Team Portland
-his brother Tyrell Fortune and the possibility of future training with him at Arizona Combat Sports
-Neal fighting a teammate of his and itching to compete again after over a year on the sidelines
-following Bellator's light heavyweight grand prix and seeing the tournament story unfurl
-liking that this is the first Bellator card that his brother Tyrell Fortune isn't fighting on too
-the close-knit nature of Portland's combat sports community and growing up with Chael Sonnen
-the importance of the amateur MMA learning curve before turning to pro-competition
-past fights at heavyweight, competing at light heavyweight, and a possible middleweight cut
-the gameplan for both Fortune brothers to hold world championships within Bellator MMA
-being the guy that grabs the aux cord at the gym and setting the vibe with the music for training

Austin Vanderford takes on Fabian Edwards at Bellator 259. This battle between ranked middleweights goes down on Friday, May 21st and broadcasts on Showtime.

Vanderford came on BTB to discuss several subjects including: -the Alaska/ Canada connection
-the journey of his transitioning from Alaska wrestling to Portland for MMA training purposes
-his amateur wrestling efforts being mindful of an eventual crossover into MMA
-Chael Sonnen playing a big role in jumpstarting his fight career on multiple levels
-going from the Portland circuit to Florida and training with American Top Team
-whether or not this Edwards contest is a title eliminator and thoughts on the rankings
-having thick skin with social media trolls and being a light-hearted guy with trash talk
-leaving the bare-knuckle boxing to his wife Paige Vanzant and the BKFC experience
-the mutual growth with Bellator MMA and his individual fighter efforts
-his run on the Submission Underground circuit and the confidence it gives his grappling skills

Johnny Eblen takes on Daniel Madrid at Bellator 258. This bout goes down on Friday, May 7th, and will broadcast on Showtime.

Eblen came on BTB to cover several subjects ahead of this middleweight clash including:

-Getting in work at ATT with Jorge Masvidal, Dalton Rosta, and Roman Faraldo
-The focus he has had on functional strength and having a pronounced focus on his mindset
-Changing his nickname on a fight to fight basis and his current moniker Diamond Hands
-His love for cryptocurrency and if he chops it up with fellow Mizzou alum Ben Askren about that
-The long recovery process from injury plus galvanizing his body and mindset overall
-Yaroslav Amosov consistently playing fire music inside the gym and Johnny's music preferences
-Eblen's assessment of Daniel Madrid's stylistic proclivities and the tape studying methodology

Raufeon Stots takes on Josh Hill at Bellator 258 on Friday, May 7th. The battle of ranked bantamweight contenders goes down at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Stots came on BTB to discuss several subjects ahead of this high-stakes prizefight.

-His assessment of Josh Hill's resume overall and skills as a fighter
-Perceiving himself and Hill as stylistically similar as well as among the divisional dark horses
-Whether or not this contest is going to be a bantamweight title eliminator
-His last performance against Keith Lee and how the story of that fight unfurled
-Working with Bellator 258 title contender at 135 lbs Sergio Pettis
-The great vibes at Roufusport and the jovial, hardworking rapport between the fighters there
-Being very family-oriented and his son Clarence Bubba being a character
-His thoughts on the Jake Paul vs Ben Askren fight and riding with Ben into the Triller card
-How providing for his family fuels him to chase greatness within MMA

Karl Albrektsson and Viktor Nemkov will test skills at Bellator 257 on Friday, April 16th. This will broadcast on Showtime and Albrektsson came on BTB to cover a myriad of topics.

-facing off with the brother of the current Bellator light heavyweight champion on Friday
-being one of only two fighters to have beaten Vadim Nemkov and his assessment of Viktor
-putting together a TKO win in his last fight with Superior Challenge in November
-training with the team at Pancrase Gym Sweden and losing their location through the pandemic
-his thoughts on the Phil Davis and Vadim Nemkov rematch for the Bellator 205 lb title
-doing past analyst work in MMA and the benefits it had for his own game as a competitor

Jason Jackson takes on Neiman Gracie at Bellator 255 on Friday, April 2nd. Jackson came on BTB to cover several subjects ahead of this bout between top Bellator MMA welterweights.

-Getting in quality work at Sanford MMA with numerous elite-level fighters
-The life benefits of being outdoors in Florida getting in beach and hill work
-Vicent Luque, Gilbert Burns, and Rory MacDonald training work
-Getting the localized insights from MacDonald who handed Neiman Gracie his sole loss
-Respecting Gracie as a technician on the ground and how a win here puts him at #1
-The controversial nature of his Ed Ruth fight and not believing he lost that fight
-Defeating Dhiego Lima for the Titan FC welterweight championship and setting his sights on finishing Dhiego's brother, Douglas Lima for the Bellator welterweight championship
-His goal this year of capturing the Bellator 170 lb belt and bringing Bellator to Jamaica
-The backstory to his nickname The Ass-Kicking Machine and how his love for WWE inspired it
-Being from Jamaica and the pandemic impeding his ability to visit home

Roman Faraldo takes on Trevor Gudde at Bellator 255. The preliminary welterweight bout goes down on Friday, April 2nd, and broadcasts on Showtime.

Faraldo came on BTB to cover several subjects before this fight: -Moving to American Top Team
-Training with multiple camps after his pro debut before deciding on a base gym
-Fighting a six-foot-seven welterweight and taking on such a lanky 170 pounder
-The competitive composure he has despite being relatively early in his MMA career
-The compounded focus from working alongside teammates preparing for their own fights
-The dynamics of fighting in an environment without fans in attendance
-Looking to get in another fight before his baby is due in July
-The music that Roman Faraldo trains to

Tyrell Fortune competes against Matt Mitrione at Bellator 255 on April 2nd. The heavyweight bout goes down at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, and broadcasts on Showtime.

Fortune came on BTB and covered several subjects: -Lessons learned across his last three bouts
-How he targeted a fight with Sergei Kharitonov and why it didn't happen
-Targeting a future rematch with Timothy Johnson to avenge his lone career loss
-Being close to Matt Mitrione and having a past training together
-Insights from teammate/ Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader who has defeated Mitrione
-Weaponizing his pace and understanding his biochemistry more with Neuroforce
-Tyrell Fortune's thoughts on the upcoming Bellator rankings reveal

Unbeaten MMA prospect Chris Gonzalez takes on decorated veteran Roger Huerta at Bellator 255. The lightweight bout goes down on April 2nd on the event's preliminary portion.

Gonzalez came on the show to discuss several subjects including: -pandemic training adjustments
-some sparring partners at Team Alpha Male (ie/ Sage Northcutt, Andre Fili, etc)
-working with a guy like Clay Guida over the years
-if he's received anecdotal information from Guida on Huerta after their 2007 classic
-signing a new four-fight deal with Bellator MMA and this being the first bout on that deal
-the life balance he has from dating UFC fighter Jessica Rose-Clark
-if there's any focus on the Pitbull vs Sanchez main event since Pitbull is still lightweight champion
-the funny situation with the aux cord at the gym and Urijah Faber's high school playlist

Dylan Bowker catches up with Curtis Millender leading into his fight against Joe Schilling leading into Bellator 249

Bubba McDaniel discusses whether taking a fight on short notice could give him an advantage.

On this show we are live from Bellator 182 at Turning Stone Casino in Verona, NY. We talk with Fernando Gonzalez, Bruna Ellen and Andrey Koreshkov after their big wins.

On this special episode of Cage Clinic, Its UFC 210 Week here in Buffalo! Joining us are UFC 210 fighters Rochester's very own Desmond Green and Gregor Gillespie as well as Ill Will Brooks, Chris Weidman and the Challenger to the UFC Light Heavyweight Title this weekend Anthony Rumble Johnson!