CLICK HERE FOR CONFERENCE CALL AUDIO
सांता मोनिका, खलीफा (नवंबर 15, 2016) – Before the cage door closes इस शनिवार सैन जोस में एसएपी सेंटर में, the main and co-main event fighters from "Bellator 165: चांडलर बनाम. हेंडरसन "participated in a media conference call. If you weren’t on the line, you can listen to it यहाँ, or read a couple of the quotes below.
"Bellator 165: चांडलर बनाम. हेंडरसन " features current champion माइकल चांडलर (15-3) खिलाफ बेन्सन हेंडरसन (24-6) शीर्षक भूमिका में, while co-main event action will have undefeated British phenom माइकल "जहर" पृष्ठ (11-0) and California’s own फर्नांडो गोंजालेज (25-13) duke it out in a welterweight thriller. Bay Area’s own Keri Melendez makes her professional MMA debut, as does केविन फर्ग्यूसन जूनियर. better known as Kimbo Slice Jr.
The event airs LIVE and FREE at 9 बजे. व/8 बजे. 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, as well as SAP Center Box Office and Ticketmaster.
क्यू: For Benson…Is there any extra motivation to prove yourself in this fight after the way the last fight ended?
बेन्सन हेंडरसन: 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.
क्यू: 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?
बेन्सन हेंडरसन: 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.
क्यू: 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?
बेन्सन हेंडरसन: I wouldn’t say that I think of myself as a lightweight necessarily. मेरे लिए, यह है 155 एलबीएस. या 170 एलबीएस।, just wherever the more interesting and fun matchups are. किंतु, first things first, मुझे कारोबार संभालना है शनिवार को रात.
क्यू: 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?
बेन्सन हेंडरसन: I’m going to go get this belt at 155 एलबीएस।, 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.
क्यू: 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? व, if you did go for another belt, would it be for welterweight or featherweight?
माइकल चांडलर: I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. मेरे लिए, I’m just looking for the biggest fight I can get. I know there’s no way I could make 145 एलबीएस।, since I walk around at about 190 एलबीएस।, between fights. इतना, I’m not interested in losing the muscle mass that I’ve worked so hard to build. अगर कुछ भी, I would jump up to 170 एलबीएस।, but right now I’m focused on my fight इस शनिवार night and I’m excited to get out there and perform.
क्यू: Why is Henderson an important opponent for your career?
माइकल चांडलर: 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 शनिवार को रात. He’s definitely a great, willing opponent, but I’m excited to go out there and get the finish.
क्यू: 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: हाँ, I’m always socially aware, but I have to get the job done first and that’s the most important thing.
क्यू: 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 एलबीएस।, is that something that you’re still interested in?
MVP: At the moment, ऐसा न करें. अभी, I’m just focused on fighting in the welterweight division.
क्यू: 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.
क्यू: For Michael Chandler…With you watching Benson from a far for a long time, what did you think of him as his career progressed?
माइकल चांडलर: Benson’s had a phenomenal career. दिन में वापस, 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 शनिवार को 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, रहते हैं और मुक्त.
क्यू: 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?
फर्नांडो गोंजालेज: 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. इतना, I don’t know if I should take that as a call out, but I think the victory alone will be enough for me.
क्यू: With Michael (पृष्ठ) on the line right now, does Fernando have any sort of message for him leading up to the fight?
फर्नांडो गोंजालेज: 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. उन्होंने कहा कि मुश्किल है, but he hasn’t been tested and I’m going to give him his first loss.
क्यू: Michael do you have a response to that?
MVP: I’m allergic to bullshit, so there’s no point in responding.
क्यू: 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?
बेन्सन हेंडरसन: 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. मेरे लिए, I have to feel it out and go with the flow. किंतु, 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.
पूर्ण "Bellator 165: चांडलर बनाम. Henderson” Main Card:
Lightweight World Title Main Event: माइकल चांडलर (15-3) बनाम. बेन्सन हेंडरसन (24-6)
वेल्टरवेट को-मेन इवेंट: माइकल पेज (11-0) बनाम. फर्नांडो गोंजालेज (25-13)
Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Linton Vassell (16-5) बनाम. फ्रांसिस Carmont (25-11)
लाइटवेट फ़ीचर बाउट: एडम Piccolot (8-0) बनाम. ब्रैंडन Girtz (14-4)
फ्लाईवेट फीचर बाउट: Keri-Anne Taylor-Melendez (डेब्यू) बनाम. Sheila Padilla (2-0)
Complete Preliminary Card:
वेल्टरवेट प्रारंभिक प्रारंभिक: केविन फर्ग्यूसन जूनियर. (डेब्यू) बनाम. Aaron Hamilton (0-2)
हल्के प्रारंभिक बाउट: Carrington Banks (5-0) बनाम. जेक रॉबर्ट्स (7-0)
मिडिलवेट प्रारंभिक बाउट: Diego Herzog (3-2) बनाम. निक पिका (5-0)
बैंटमवेट प्रारंभिक बाउट: यिर्मयाह मोनाघन (9-5) बनाम. Vince Murdock (8-2)
वेल्टरवेट प्रारंभिक प्रारंभिक: जेम्स टेरी (17-9) बनाम. Justin Baesman (19-10-1)
बैंटमवेट प्रारंभिक बाउट: एल्विन Cacdac (16-12) बनाम. स्टीव रामिरेज़ (5-1)
हल्के प्रारंभिक बाउट: J.J. Okanovich (2-1) बनाम. Luis Vargas (डेब्यू)
पंख प्रारंभिक प्रारंभिक बाउट: विक्टर जोन्स (0-2) बनाम. Beau Hamilton (1-7)
हल्के प्रारंभिक बाउट: Hugo Lujan (0-1) बनाम. Cesar Gonzalez (डेब्यू)
Welterweight “VOW” Preliminary Bout: Dominic Sumner (डेब्यू) बनाम. Justin Roswell (1-0)
वेल्टरवेट प्रारंभिक प्रारंभिक: Danasabe Mohammed (5-0) बनाम. Dwight Grant (6-1)
फ्लाईवेट प्रारंभिक बाउट: Sarah D’Alelio (10-6) बनाम. जयमेलीन नेवेरा (4-1)
