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Sunderland’s Andrew Fisher (12-4-1) has just been signed up to take part in Bellator’s featherweight tournament. At Bellator 99, he’ll face off against Guam’s Joe “The Juggernaut” Taimanglo. MMA Plus spoke with Fisher about the signing, his hopes for the tournament, and the fight itself.
You’ve had a great run of fights, winning the last four, unbeaten in seven and now Bellator have come calling. What’s it been like for you since receiving the news? Have you been able to stay grounded or is it all still a bit overwhelming?
“Nah I’m pretty grounded still. Everything is planning out perfectly, sometimes people get a bit overwhelmed and start thinking they’re some kind of celebrity as soon as they get to a big show and they think they’ve made it. I definitely haven’t done anything yet, I’ve just signed my name on a piece of paper. All the hard work is happening now.”
Your first round opponent is Joe “The Juggernaut” Taimanglo, from Guam. Like you, he’s been on a bit of a solid streak, winning his last nine fights, six via submission. Are you confident that you can beat him? Has the studying of him begun already?
“Yeah I’m pretty confident I’ve got the knowledge to beat whatever he brings. He’s a good skilled fighter and tough. There’s a few things I’ve been working on.”
You had a bit of a reputation as a submission specialist, winning seven of your first 14 fights via submissions, yet your last three fights have all been TKO victories. Was there a change in training to make your game more well-rounded or just taking the opportunities that present themselves?
“I think that’s probably my biggest strength is that I’m so well rounded. When I first started fighting I only knew grappling but I put a load of time into boxing and it brought my ground and pound game on as well, so I’m happy anyway the fight goes. I’ve got so many different ways of finishing fights now and I’m nowhere near the finished product. I’m improving at a massive rate every single day and this is just the first step.”
What about some of the other guys in the tournament – anyone that you’d like to face or preferably avoid until later rounds?
“To be honest, I’d of been happy with any of them. I’m not in there to make numbers up I’m there to win it and fight Pat Curran for his world title.”
This is a huge step for you in your career and with a win, you’ll gain more exposure and only go up and up. Is this the biggest fight of your life?
“Every single fight you have is the biggest fight of your life and this is no different. But yeah this is the start of a better life for my wife and kids.”
Bellator 99 takes place on September 13th from Pechanga Casino, California. Stick with MMA Plus for more on Bellator 99.
Bellator Featherweight Tournament Quarter-finals:
Andrew Fisher (UK) (12-4-1) vs Joe Taimanglo (Guam) (18-4-1)
Fabricio de Assis Costa da Silva (Brazil) (17-2-0) vs Desmond Green (US) (8-1-0)
Shahbulat Shamhalaev (Russia) (12-2-1) vs Akop Stepanyan (Russia) (13-5-0)
Patricio Freire (Brazil) (17-2-0) vs Diego Nunes (Brazil) (18-4-0)
