Yesterday at the BELLATOR 158 Open Media Workouts and resulting media scrums, Matt Mitrione was asked by Anoop Hothi, reporting for MMA PLUS, if he was confident of any particular round in finishing the main event with Oli Thompson – Mitrione responded: “I’m just going to put hands on him until he decides to quit” (as shown in the video interview below).
It was also very interesting to hear Matt Mitirione say: “I tried one takedown in my career. I will never try another takedown again. Unless, unless, something goes horribly haywire wrong and I don’t foresee that happening.”
Mitrione is proud of being a ‘stand up guy’ in the MMA fighting world and makes it very clear that he has no interest in taking the fight to the ground with the former, ‘Britain’s Strongest Man’, Oli Thompson at BELLATOR 158 on the 16th July at The O2 Arena.
UK MMA fans who have been following Oli Thompson’s career since the earlier years when he was fighting on the domestic scene, know too well that he has one punch knockout power and is actually quite comfortable with the grappling side of his overall skill set. With well renowned striking / Thai boxing coach, Kenny Moyston coaching him for quite some time now (and in his corner for the fight), Thompson vs Mitrione has all the ingredients of a potential, heavyweight striking war for the main event at BELLATOR 158.
As for BELLATOR’s media darling, Matt Mitrione, with all the media work he’s been doing in recent months (post UFC fall out and Dynamite 2), it was interesting and unique to see him accompanied by his oldest (but still fairly young) son and to hear him talk about being able to share and enjoy his working life around the world with him now too.
