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SANTA MONICA, કેલિફ (નવેમ્બર 15, 2016) – Before the cage door closes આ શનિવાર સન જોસે માં સેપ સેન્ટર ખાતે, the main and co-main event fighters from "વોરિયર 165: ચાન્ડલર વિ. હેન્ડરસન "participated in a media conference call. If you weren’t on the line, you can listen to it અહીં, or read a couple of the quotes below.
"વોરિયર 165: ચાન્ડલર વિ. હેન્ડરસન " features current champion માઈકલ ચાન્ડલર (15-3) સામે બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન (24-6) આ શીર્ષક ભૂમિકા, while co-main event action will have undefeated British phenom માઇકલ "ઝેર" પેજમાં (11-0) and California’s own ફર્નાન્ડો ગોન્ઝાલીઝ (25-13) duke it out in a welterweight thriller. Bay Area’s own Keri Melendez makes her professional MMA debut, જેમ કરે છે Kevin Ferguson Jr. better known as Kimbo Slice Jr.
The event airs LIVE and FREE at 9 વાગ્યાની. અને/8 વાગ્યાની. CT on Spike and completes three consecutive weeks of championship fights on the Viacom-owned network. Tickets for the event remain on sale and can be purchased at Bellator.com, તેમજ એસએપી કેન્દ્ર બોક્સ ઓફિસ અને ટિકિટમાસ્ટરના.
સ: For Benson…Is there any extra motivation to prove yourself in this fight after the way the last fight ended?
બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન: I would say that there’s not a whole lot of extra motivation this fight. I’m a pretty highly self-motivated individual. I want to win all of my fights. I don’t need any extra incentives. I want to have my hand raised in every single fight.
સ: This is your second title fight in Bellator. Is there anything you learned from the first go-around that you’re bringing into this fight?
બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન: I don’t know if there’s anything that I learned from the last title fight, just being more comfortable inside the Bellator cage and getting used to the walkout and finding my rhythm.
સ: You’re fighting for the title now. Do you think of yourself as a lightweight? Is this where you intend to stay or is another trip to welterweight a possibility in the future?
બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન: I wouldn’t say that I think of myself as a lightweight necessarily. મારા માટે, તે છે 155 કિ. અથવા 170 કિ., just wherever the more interesting and fun matchups are. પરંતુ, first things first, મારે ધંધાનું ધ્યાન રાખવું પડશે શનિવારે રાત્રે.
સ: You mentioned fun and interesting fights. Is the title something you think about as well? The story line of the week is a two-division champion in the other promotion. Is that a dream that you have for yourself in your career or do you just want to stay and be the most dominate lightweight champion that you can be?
બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન: I’m going to go get this belt at 155 કિ., but after that I wouldn’t say that belts offer a whole lot of extra incentive. Obviously belts are great and the meaning behind the belt is that you are the best in the planet and that means a lot to say that you are the best at that weight class, but I don’t fight necessarily just for the belt. You do want the belt, but right now all I’m concentrating on is four days from now and a man named Michael Chandler.
સ: For Michael…Have you ever thought about trying for another belt? I know it’s early in your title reign, but has that ever crossed your mind? અને, if you did go for another belt, would it be for welterweight or featherweight?
માઈકલ ચાન્ડલર: I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. મારા માટે, I’m just looking for the biggest fight I can get. I know there’s no way I could make 145 કિ., since I walk around at about 190 કિ., between fights. તેથી, I’m not interested in losing the muscle mass that I’ve worked so hard to build. કંઈપણ હોય તો, I would jump up to 170 કિ., but right now I’m focused on my fight આ શનિવાર night and I’m excited to get out there and perform.
સ: Why is Henderson an important opponent for your career?
માઈકલ ચાન્ડલર: Every opponent is important. Every single time we fight, we’re putting ourselves, our livelihood, our records, and our reputation on the line. It just so happens for me, I get an opportunity to fight a guy who’s been a champion and has done some great things in the sport. But luckily, it’s the right time for me and the wrong time for him. I’m extremely excited to go out there and make a statement with this fight શનિવારે રાત્રે. He’s definitely a great, willing opponent, but I’m excited to go out there and get the finish.
સ: For MVP…Obviously, it’s been a fantastic year for you in Bellator, especially your performance in London. Have you got your finger on the pulse of pop culture right now and is there something out there that you’re drawing inspiration from that you’re looking to utilize in some entertainment factor on fight night?
MVP: અરે વાહ, I’m always socially aware, but I have to get the job done first and that’s the most important thing.
સ: At the moment, fighting at multiple weight classes and fighting in multiple divisions seems to be the rage right now and I know in the past you’ve mentioned the possibility of dropping down to 155 કિ., is that something that you’re still interested in?
MVP: At the moment, ન કરી. હમણાં, I’m just focused on fighting in the welterweight division.
સ: If you can record a win over Fernando Gonzalez, how many more fights and how many more wins do you think before you are in that title picture and fighting for a title shot?
MVP: That’s not really my main concern. I just go out there and entertain and I’ll keep doing that until I end up in the position I’m supposed to be in.
સ: For Michael Chandler…With you watching Benson from a far for a long time, what did you think of him as his career progressed?
માઈકલ ચાન્ડલર: Benson’s had a phenomenal career. પાછા દિવસે, he was the UFC champion and I was the Bellator champion. He was ranked number one and I was ranked number three in the world and it was always that “what if” matchup. What if these two guys could fight…and now we finally get to see. He’s continued to impress. He’s continued to win. Great careers and great legacies can’t be had without great opponents. I look at Benson Henderson as exactly that, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to step into that cage શનિવારે night and lose this belt. I’ve trained my tail off, I’ve gone through some of the toughest hardships that anyone can go through in this sport…losing three fights in a row, coming back, and believing that no matter what, my next big breakthrough is right around the corner. I never once thought about quitting, where I think a lot of people in that situation would. Where I’ve been and where I am now, I’m confident and I’m excited to just go out there and put it all on the line against one of the best in the world and one of the biggest names in the sport. This is a great opportunity on Spike TV, લાઇવ અને મફત.
સ: For Fernando…question regarding the video packages that Michael Page has produced and released this year, most recently during Halloween. Did you watch them and what was your reaction to the video packages?
ફર્નાન્ડો ગોન્ઝાલીઝ: I watched both of the videos and thought it was kind of funny, especially the last one. Bad choice of food products I guess. He’s basically eating balls and drinking milk, while cupping and savoring the taste. તેથી, I don’t know if I should take that as a call out, but I think the victory alone will be enough for me.
સ: With Michael (પેજમાં) on the line right now, does Fernando have any sort of message for him leading up to the fight?
ફર્નાન્ડો ગોન્ઝાલીઝ: It’s the same message that I gave before. Just show up. I respect the fighter, but after this he’ll congratulate me and thank me for making him a better fighter. તેમણે અઘરા છે, but he hasn’t been tested and I’m going to give him his first loss.
સ: Michael do you have a response to that?
MVP: I’m allergic to bullshit, so there’s no point in responding.
સ: For Benson Henderson…In the title eliminator fight in Anaheim, you had a calm and deliberate demeanor throughout that fight and before we could really see you explode, Pitbull was taken away with an injury. Are you going to look to set a faster pace with Chandler, or are we going to see a more measured response?
બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન: We’ll see how it plays out. It’s hard to dictate and say exactly what I’m going to do. If I was an NFL coach, I would not be one of those coaches that has the first 15 plays of the game scripted out and no matter what happens, we’re sticking to these 15 plays. મારા માટે, I have to feel it out and go with the flow. પરંતુ, for me I don’t think this is going to be a slow pace fight. I’m expecting this to be one of the most high paced, action-packed fights you’ve seen in the Bellator cage.
પૂર્ણ "વોરિયર 165: ચાન્ડલર વિ. Henderson” Main Card:
Lightweight World Title Main Event: માઈકલ ચાન્ડલર (15-3) વિ. બેન્સન હેન્ડરસન (24-6)
વેલ્ટરવેઇટ કો-મુખ્ય ઇવેન્ટ: માઈકલ પેજમાં (11-0) વિ. ફર્નાન્ડો ગોન્ઝાલીઝ (25-13)
Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Linton Vassell (16-5) વિ. ફ્રાન્સિસ Carmont (25-11)
હલકો વજન લક્ષણ: આદમ Piccolot (8-0) વિ. બ્રાન્ડોન Girtz (14-4)
ફ્લાયવેઇટ લક્ષણ વારો: Keri-Anne Taylor-Melendez (પદાર્પણ) વિ. Sheila Padilla (2-0)
Complete Preliminary Card:
વેલ્ટરવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: Kevin Ferguson Jr. (પદાર્પણ) વિ. Aaron Hamilton (0-2)
લાઇટવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: કેરીંગટન બેંકો (5-0) વિ. Jake Roberts (7-0)
મિડલવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: Diego Herzog (3-2) વિ. નિક Pica (5-0)
બેન્ટમ વેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: યિર્મેયા Monaghan (9-5) વિ. Vince Murdock (8-2)
વેલ્ટરવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: જેમ્સ ટેરી (17-9) વિ. Justin Baesman (19-10-1)
બેન્ટમ વેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: એલ્વિન Cacdac (16-12) વિ. સ્ટીવ રેમિરેઝ (5-1)
લાઇટવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: એક શબ્દ નથી. ઓકનોવિચ (2-1) વિ. Luis Vargas (પદાર્પણ)
ફેધર વેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: વિક્ટર જોન્સ (0-2) વિ. Beau Hamilton (1-7)
લાઇટવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: હ્યુગો લુજન (0-1) વિ. Cesar Gonzalez (પદાર્પણ)
Welterweight “VOW” Preliminary Bout: ડોમિનિક સમનર (પદાર્પણ) વિ. Justin Roswell (1-0)
વેલ્ટરવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: Danasabe Mohammed (5-0) વિ. Dwight Grant (6-1)
ફ્લાયવેઇટ પ્રારંભિક વારો: Sarah D’Alelio (10-6) વિ. Jaimelene Nievera (4-1)
