You’ll have a hard time finding an MMA fighter in this day and age who is as charismatic or as entertaining as Bellator lightweight David Rickels.
“People love entertainment! We are entertainers at the end of the day. If I can build a fan base that loves me simply because I’m awesome enough to walk out with a dinosaur, you better believe I will!” Rickels told Last Word on Sports.
“The Caveman” is looking to put on a show both inside and outside of the cage on Friday night when he meets longtime MMA veteran John Alessio at Bellator 139.
“[Alessio] has been around since the dinosaurs man. Good thing I’m a caveman,” Rickels jokes.
Rickels has gone 2-1 inside of the Bellator cage since his loss against Michael Chandler for the Bellator Lightweight Championship at Bellator 97. The Bellator Season 8 Lightweight Tournament winner is hoping that a win against a veteran in Alessio will get him one step closer to another lightweight title shot.
“Thing is with John Alessio is that he has a ton of experience. He’s doing pretty good for his fighting age. I really think that I can show people how good I really am and how deserving of a title shot I might be.”
Rickels last title shot only last 44 seconds as Chandler overwhelmed him early on in the fight, getting the finish with strikes. Rickels points to a lack of confidence before the fight as the main reason for why he under-performed.
“There was a point in my career where I really doubted that I was as good as Michael Chandler, and it showed. That’s exactly why I lost that fight. I didn’t think I deserved a title shot and I didn’t think I was ready for it.”
Rickels has now found that confidence, and is hoping to prove on Friday that when he’s mentally at his best, he can defeat any lightweight in the world.
“This is the most excited I’ve been for a fight in a long time. Sometimes you’ll go through the motions of the camp. I’ve always physically pushed myself very hard, but mentally sometimes you just aren’t in it. I do know this. When mentally I’m at my peak, I feel unbeatable. That’s exactly how I’m feeling.”
When asked about a possible rematch with Chandler, who just defeated Derek Campos last week at Bellator 138, Rickels jumped at the idea.
“You’re damn straight I do! That’s my evil plan. This is exactly what I want to happen. That is a fight that I really want.”
Bellator 139 takes place this Friday at the Kansas Star Casino in Mulvane, Kansas. The main card begins at 9pm EST on Spike TV, with the main event featuring heavyweights Cheick Kongo and Alexander Volkov.
