(Courtesy of UFC)
As we get ready for Bellator 220, join Rory MacDonald and Jon Fitch as they prepare to fight for the Bellator welterweight title at the SAP Center in San Jose on Saturday.
TRENDING Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch Ceremonial Weigh-in Video
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/countdown-to-bellator-220-rory-macdonald-vs-jon-fitch
(Courtesy of BellatorMMA)
Watch the Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch Ceremonial Weigh-in streaming live on Friday, April 27 at 4 p.m. ET.
The fight card is topped by two title bouts, as welterweight champion Rory MacDonald puts his championship on the line opposite Jon Fitch as part of the Bellator Welterweight Grand Prix. In the Bellator 220 co-main event, women’s flyweight champion Ilima-Lei Macfarlane defends her belt against Veta Arteaga.
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Bellator 220: MacDonald vs. Fitch takes place Saturday, April 27, at the SAP Center in San Jose, Calif.
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/bellator-220-macdonald-vs-fitch-ceremonial-weigh-in-video
For welterweight prospect Tyler Ray, the fact that he’s been able to fight, let alone pick up victories in three of his four bouts, is impressive considering how he’d been fighting with a potentially dangerous medical issue.
Following a particularly nasty bout of pneumonia, Ray was diagnosed with a growth in his lung, causing him to operate at only a fraction of normal lung capacity for as long as he had been fighting.
“I ended up finding out I had an empyema, and drained 1.12 liters out of my pleural cavity,” Ray told MMAWeekly.com. “It was supposed to be a 30 minute surgery, but it ended up taking two hours and 45 minutes. The surgeon came out and told my dad and my wife that if I had waited 24-36 hours to have come in, I would have died. It was starting to shut down the other organs it was so bad.
“It was always in the back of my mind what if I never fight again, (but) my mind just switched into getting back into the cage again. That’s all I focused on. With God and my family and everyone around of me I got back in the cage. Every day since then it’s a blessing to me. Every time I get to step into the cage I never take it for granted.”
Now that Ray is fully recovered, he feels like able to perform at a level that he’d previously been not been capable of.
“Now that’s behind me, my cardio is not an issue to me anymore,” said Ray. “It’s not a fear in the back of my head in a fight. If it turns into a barn-burner, I can go. I can hit the gas pedal the whole time.
“My last fight (versus Seth Bess at Bellator 204 last August) was when I finally started to feel comfortable in the cage, and I think it showed. I’m looking to build off that this year.”
ON Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Ray (3-1) will look to pick up his first win of 2019 when he faces Sam Garrett (3-1) in a main card 170-pound bout at LFA 64.
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“I just need to go out there and do what I feel I’m capable of,” Ray said. “I treat every single fighter the same, as if I’m fighting for a world title, and I never underestimate anybody.
“I think it’s a good match-up for me, because every fight is a good match-up for me, I’m dangerous in all aspects. I’m not going to worry about what he’s doing, I’m just going to go out and do what I’m capable of doing, if I do that I will come out with a win.”
Following the example of teammate and UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, Ray feels like he can take his career to the next level in 2019, but will do so one step at a time.
“I do have a road map for myself, and goals I do want to obtain, and I am slowly chipping away at them,” said Ray. “I’m never looking two steps ahead; I’m always focused on right in front of me, so right now I’m focused on Sam. Once I get by him, we will figure out the next steps of my career.
“I do believe I will be in the UFC. I believe it will be sooner than later, but I’ve got to handle my business first on Friday night, and then we’ll sit down and figure out what comes next.”
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/tyler-ray-going-to-do-what-hes-capable-of-at-lfa-64
(Courtesy of UFC)
Cory Sandhagen is not cut out to live a mediocre life. When he decided to go after a career in mixed martial arts, it was going to be for nothing less than becoming a world champion.
Three fights into his UFC tenure, he has won all three of those bouts and has a stellar 10-1 overall record to his credit.
Sandhagen faces seasoned veteran John Lineker next at UFC on ESPN+ 8 on Saturday in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. If he continues his impressive UFC finishing streak, Sandhagen thinks he’s only a fight or two away from challenging for the UFC bantamweight championship.
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Tune in Saturday, April 27 to MMAWeekly.com for UFC on ESPN+ 8: Jacare vs. Hermansson full live results from Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/cory-sandhagen-im-not-down-for-having-a-life-that-is-mediocre-ufc-ft-lauderdale-video
Looking back over his 2018, lightweight Demarques Jackson feels like the year went almost perfectly.
In three bouts last year, Jackson managed to win all three, picking up finishes in two of the bouts, and position himself for big things in 2019.
“Last year was a big year for me,” Jackson told MMAWeekly.com. “I went 3-0 with three good wins against solid opponents. Getting those three wins there gave us this (upcoming) opportunity to fight for the belt.
“The decision over Bryce Logan I wish I could have done better in that. I wish I could have gotten a finish, but that happens sometimes against good, game, opponents. The next fight after that one, I knew I definitely had to put the guy away, and I did against Bobby Lee. I have the same mindset for upcoming fights; I have to put these guys away if I want to get a shot at the bigger shows.”
Having been four months since his win over Lee, Jackson has worked on developing his game, but doesn’t feel he’ll truly be able to see where he is at until he has his first fight of 2019.
“You can always have an idea where you’re at with in training, but it doesn’t matter until you go out there in a fight and show it,” said Jackson. “I feel like I’m next level, but I have to go out in this (upcoming) fight and show it.”
At LFA 64 on Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D., Jackson (10-2) will get to showcase his skills in a lightweight championship main event against Harvey Park (11-2).
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“I have to go out there and put on the performance of a lifetime; the best performance I’ve ever put on; and put him away,” Jackson said of Park.
“Every fight starts out striking, and if I like the striking and can land my shots on the feet, I will try to finish it there. If I don’t like how the striking is going, I’ll take the fight to the ground and go for the finish there. Either way I’m looking for a finish, whether it’s on the feet or on the ground.”
For Jackson, getting finishes is the biggest thing in 2019. He feels that if he can not only win, but finish all of his opponents, he’ll be able to step up to the next level before the year is out.
“I go fight by fight, finish by finish,” said Jackson. “Everybody they put in front of me, I’ll finish them until I get the call. I don’t care who they put in front of me, if I finish every fight eventually I’ll get the call.”
Article source: https://www.mmaweekly.com/demarques-jackson-ready-to-put-on-performance-of-a-lifeteime-lfa-64-title-fight