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ZuffaKiller- Posts : 4178
Join date : 2011-11-19
Despite guaranteed title shot, Bellator 78's Daniel Straus not taking it easy
Tue Oct 23, 2012 12:11 am
Injuries have created a bottleneck at the top of Bellator's featherweight division, and Daniel Straus isn't waiting for it to clear.
"They're going to allow me to stay busy inside the cage with them, so I'm going to take a fight before I get this title fight with whoever wins between Pat (Curran) and [Patricio Freire]," Straus told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).
Straus (20-4 MMA, 7-1 BFC) meets UFC vet Alvin Robinson (12-6 MMA, 0-0 BFC) on the MTV2-televised main card of Bellator 78, which takes place Friday at Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio. Preliminary-card fights stream on Spike.com.
Although he could walk away from the fight with a loss, Straus said he isn't gambling his title shot by fighting Robinson, who returns to the cage for the first time in 13 months. Regardless of the outcome, he'll fight champ Curran or Freire.
"Everybody is just waiting for Pat to get healed up," Straus said. "He had an unfortunate injury training for his fight (with Freire), and unfortunately, the [featherweights] are just backed up right now. It's injuries – you can't blame anyone for them."
With less at risk, Straus could theoretically coast or fight in ways he otherwise wouldn't. But at least in the gym, he said he's prepared for the bout as if it were for a title, noting that Robinson received his jiu-jitsu black belt from Renzo Gracie.
"I'm not really scared to go to the ground with him," he said. "Although that's not really where I want the fight to be at. But I feel like I've been preparing in the right way, so I'm not worried about where it goes.
"I definitely want to get into this fight and finish him and not go the distance any more. I want to show what I have and show that I can beat these guys and be dominant."
Indeed, all but one of Straus' seven Bellator fights have gone to the scorecards. His sole loss in the promotion came against Freire, who outpointed him in the Season 4 tourney final. The Cincinnati native also has faced a half-dozen standouts selected or their potential to be champions, so he hasn't exactly had an easy road.
Straus hopes his bout will stay upright so he has a greater chance of finishing Robinson. But whether the matchup is a brief stopover or the hardest fight of his life, he's pressing ahead nonetheless.
"I'm going to go out there and show why I'm sitting in the position to have my next title fight," he said.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/31243/despite-guaranteed-title-shot-bellator-78s-daniel-straus-not-taking-it-easy.mma
"They're going to allow me to stay busy inside the cage with them, so I'm going to take a fight before I get this title fight with whoever wins between Pat (Curran) and [Patricio Freire]," Straus told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio).
Straus (20-4 MMA, 7-1 BFC) meets UFC vet Alvin Robinson (12-6 MMA, 0-0 BFC) on the MTV2-televised main card of Bellator 78, which takes place Friday at Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio. Preliminary-card fights stream on Spike.com.
Although he could walk away from the fight with a loss, Straus said he isn't gambling his title shot by fighting Robinson, who returns to the cage for the first time in 13 months. Regardless of the outcome, he'll fight champ Curran or Freire.
"Everybody is just waiting for Pat to get healed up," Straus said. "He had an unfortunate injury training for his fight (with Freire), and unfortunately, the [featherweights] are just backed up right now. It's injuries – you can't blame anyone for them."
With less at risk, Straus could theoretically coast or fight in ways he otherwise wouldn't. But at least in the gym, he said he's prepared for the bout as if it were for a title, noting that Robinson received his jiu-jitsu black belt from Renzo Gracie.
"I'm not really scared to go to the ground with him," he said. "Although that's not really where I want the fight to be at. But I feel like I've been preparing in the right way, so I'm not worried about where it goes.
"I definitely want to get into this fight and finish him and not go the distance any more. I want to show what I have and show that I can beat these guys and be dominant."
Indeed, all but one of Straus' seven Bellator fights have gone to the scorecards. His sole loss in the promotion came against Freire, who outpointed him in the Season 4 tourney final. The Cincinnati native also has faced a half-dozen standouts selected or their potential to be champions, so he hasn't exactly had an easy road.
Straus hopes his bout will stay upright so he has a greater chance of finishing Robinson. But whether the matchup is a brief stopover or the hardest fight of his life, he's pressing ahead nonetheless.
"I'm going to go out there and show why I'm sitting in the position to have my next title fight," he said.
http://mmajunkie.com/news/31243/despite-guaranteed-title-shot-bellator-78s-daniel-straus-not-taking-it-easy.mma
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