Liam
McGeary has finished nine of his first 10 opponents. | Photo: Dave
Mandel/Sherdog.com
Tito Ortiz may be 40 years old and years removed from the prime of his mixed martial arts career, but Bellator MMA light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary knows he cannot afford to overlook “The Huntington Beach Bad Boy.”
“I’d be stupid if didn’t see him as dangerous,” McGeary told Sherdog.com. “I’m not going to take it any easier on him or take him lightly because he’s 40 years old. He still poses some danger, but I feel like I’m more than capable of handling that threat. I’m going to go out and show everyone.”
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The 6-foot-6 McGeary expected Newton to present a difficult challenge and admits he was happy to emerge victorious, even if he had to go all five rounds to do it. Newton entered the cage on a seven-fight winning streak that stretched back more than two years.
“I was going for a belt, so I knew it was gonna be no walk in the
park; and it wasn’t,” said McGeary, who operates out of the Team
Renzo Gracie camp in New Jersey. “It was a great fight, I prepared
for it and I’m happy with the result.”
“
my striking is good and
my wrestling is good. I’m
ready for this fight.
”
McGeary admits he looks forward to the opportunity to fight with a high-profile opponent like Ortiz, a man who owns victories over Ken Shamrock, Forrest Griffin, Ryan Bader, Vitor Belfort and Wanderlei Silva, among others.
“Camp’s been awesome,” he said. “Things have been brilliant. I’ve been working hard and pushing through my paces. I’m excited about this fight. His name holds a lot of value. I’m looking forward to punching him in the face. I’m honored to be in the main event of this card. It’s a great card to be a part of, and to be in the headlining fight makes me very happy.”
Aside from his venomous submission game, McGeary believes his youth puts him at a significant advantage against Ortiz, who has been fighting competitively for 18 years.
“I’m a lot younger than him, and that’s exactly what I’m going to take advantage of and win this fight,” McGeary said. “My conditioning is good, my striking is good and my wrestling is good. I’m ready for this fight.”
Along with the title fight pitting McGeary against Ortiz, there will also be a four-man, one-night tournament that features Newton, Phil Davis, Muhammed Lawal and Linton Vassell. The winner of that draw is expected to become the No. 1 contender for Bellator’s 205-pound crown. McGeary will have a vested interest in the result.
“I know a couple of the guys in the tournament,” he said. “I know ‘King Mo,’ and [Newton] beat him. I’m definitely going to be watching. I’ll be getting ready for my fight, but I don’t want to miss it. I’ll have the DVR going at home and make sure to watch it all when I get home.”
McGeary feels the tournament, along with the combined co-promotion with Glory kickboxing, represents another sign that Bellator is going in the right direction as 2015 starts to wind down.
“I really like the tournament,” said McGeary, who signed a multi-fight, multi-year contract with Bellator in March. “The tournament is massive, and it says that Bellator has faith in the 205-pound division. [Bellator President Scott Coker] got a lot of the best at heavyweight when he was in Strikeforce. He’s doing that here with the light heavyweight division, and I’m more than happy to go along with those plans.”
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