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সান্তা মনিকায়, খলিফা (নভেম্বর 15, 2016) – Before the cage door closes এই শনিবার সান জোসে স্যাপ সেন্টার, the main and co-main event fighters from "ওয়ারিয়র 165: দোকানদার বনাম. হেন্ডারসন "participated in a media conference call. If you weren’t on the line, you can listen to it এখানে, or read a couple of the quotes below.
"ওয়ারিয়র 165: দোকানদার বনাম. হেন্ডারসন " features current champion মাইকেল শ্যান্ডলার (15-3) বিরুদ্ধে বেনসন হেন্ডারসন (24-6) headlining ভূমিকা, while co-main event action will have undefeated British phenom মাইকেল "ভেনম" পৃষ্ঠা (11-0) and California’s own ফার্নান্দো Gonzalez (25-13) duke it out in a welterweight thriller. Bay Area’s own Keri Melendez makes her professional MMA debut, as does Kevin Ferguson Jr. better known as Kimbo Slice Jr.
The event airs LIVE and FREE at 9 বিকাল. এবং/8 বিকাল. 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.
প্রশ্ন: For Benson…Is there any extra motivation to prove yourself in this fight after the way the last fight ended?
বেনসন হেন্ডারসন: 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.
প্রশ্ন: 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?
বেনসন হেন্ডারসন: 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.
প্রশ্ন: 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?
বেনসন হেন্ডারসন: I wouldn’t say that I think of myself as a lightweight necessarily. আমার জন্য, এটা 155 পাউন্ড. বা 170 পাউন্ড., just wherever the more interesting and fun matchups are. কিন্তু, first things first, I have to take care of business শনিবার রাত.
প্রশ্ন: 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?
বেনসন হেন্ডারসন: I’m going to go get this belt at 155 পাউন্ড., 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.
প্রশ্ন: 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? এবং, if you did go for another belt, would it be for welterweight or featherweight?
মাইকেল শ্যান্ডলার: I haven’t put a lot of thought into it. আমার জন্য, I’m just looking for the biggest fight I can get. I know there’s no way I could make 145 পাউন্ড., since I walk around at about 190 পাউন্ড., between fights. সুতরাং, I’m not interested in losing the muscle mass that I’ve worked so hard to build. যদি কিছু, I would jump up to 170 পাউন্ড., but right now I’m focused on my fight এই শনিবার night and I’m excited to get out there and perform.
প্রশ্ন: Why is Henderson an important opponent for your career?
মাইকেল শ্যান্ডলার: 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 শনিবার রাত. He’s definitely a great, willing opponent, but I’m excited to go out there and get the finish.
প্রশ্ন: 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: হাঁ, I’m always socially aware, but I have to get the job done first and that’s the most important thing.
প্রশ্ন: 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 পাউন্ড., is that something that you’re still interested in?
MVP: At the moment, না. এখনি, I’m just focused on fighting in the welterweight division.
প্রশ্ন: 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.
প্রশ্ন: For Michael Chandler…With you watching Benson from a far for a long time, what did you think of him as his career progressed?
মাইকেল শ্যান্ডলার: Benson’s had a phenomenal career. পিছনে দিনে, 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 শনিবার 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, লাইভ এবং বিনামূল্যে.
প্রশ্ন: 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?
ফার্নান্দো Gonzalez: 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. সুতরাং, I don’t know if I should take that as a call out, but I think the victory alone will be enough for me.
প্রশ্ন: With Michael (পৃষ্ঠা) on the line right now, does Fernando have any sort of message for him leading up to the fight?
ফার্নান্দো Gonzalez: 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. তিনি শক্ত, but he hasn’t been tested and I’m going to give him his first loss.
প্রশ্ন: Michael do you have a response to that?
MVP: I’m allergic to bullshit, so there’s no point in responding.
প্রশ্ন: 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?
বেনসন হেন্ডারসন: 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. আমার জন্য, I have to feel it out and go with the flow. কিন্তু, 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.
সমাপ্তি "ওয়ারিয়র 165: দোকানদার বনাম. Henderson” Main Card:
Lightweight World Title Main Event: মাইকেল শ্যান্ডলার (15-3) বনাম. বেনসন হেন্ডারসন (24-6)
ওয়েলটারওয়েট কো-মেইন ইভেন্ট: মাইকেল পাতা (11-0) বনাম. ফার্নান্দো Gonzalez (25-13)
Light Heavyweight Feature Bout: Linton Vassell (16-5) বনাম. ফ্রান্সিস Carmont (25-11)
লাইটওয়েট বৈশিষ্ট্য: আদম Piccolot (8-0) বনাম. Brandon Girtz (14-4)
ফ্লাইওয়েট ফিচার বাউট: Keri-Anne Taylor-Melendez (উদয়) বনাম. Sheila Padilla (2-0)
Complete Preliminary Card:
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Kevin Ferguson Jr. (উদয়) বনাম. Aaron Hamilton (0-2)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Carrington Banks (5-0) বনাম. Jake Roberts (7-0)
মিডলওয়েট প্রিলিমিনারি আউট: Diego Herzog (3-2) বনাম. নিক পাইকা (5-0)
Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: যিরমিয় Monaghan (9-5) বনাম. Vince Murdock (8-2)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: জেমস টেরি (17-9) বনাম. Justin Baesman (19-10-1)
Bantamweight Preliminary Bout: আলভিন Cacdac (16-12) বনাম. স্টিভ রামিরেজ (5-1)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: J.J. Okanovich (2-1) বনাম. Luis Vargas (উদয়)
Featherweight Preliminary Bout: ভিক্টর জোন্স (0-2) বনাম. Beau Hamilton (1-7)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Hugo Lujan (0-1) বনাম. Cesar Gonzalez (উদয়)
Welterweight “VOW” Preliminary Bout: Dominic Sumner (উদয়) বনাম. Justin Roswell (1-0)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Danasabe Mohammed (5-0) বনাম. Dwight Grant (6-1)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Sarah D’Alelio (10-6) বনাম. Jaimelene Nievera (4-1)
