b247 semtex daley | bellator mma
Fighters are scheduled to start chatting today at 1:30 p.m. ET from inside Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy.
Bellator 247: “Daley vs. Anderson” takes place Thurs. Oct. 1, 2020 at Allianz Cloud in Milan, Italy. A Welterweight fire fight leads the action on CBS Sports Network as Paul “Semtex” Daley (42-17-2) will face “Barbaric” Derek Anderson (16-3, 1 NC) in the main event.
The fighters are scheduled to participate in what the promotion is calling a “Virtual Media Day” this afternoon (Weds., Sept. 30, 2020), starting at 9:00 a.m. ET. Expected participants include:
Derek Anderson (9:00 a.m.) – Bellator Welterweight
Norbert Novenyi Jr. (9:15 a.m.) – Bellator Middleweight
Kate Jackson (9:30 a.m.) – Bellator Flyweight
Brian Moore (9:45 a.m.) – Bellator Featherweight
Chris Duncan (10:00 a.m.) – Bellator Lightweight
Denise Kielholtz (10:15 a.m.) – Bellator Flyweight
Paul Daley (10:30 a.m.) – Bellator Welterweight
Selected news and memorable quotes from the participants will be available below.
Derek Anderson: “Fighting Welterweight is pretty sweet because I only cut a few pounds. I’m taller than him. I’m pretty good at taking shots, ducking shots. I train with big guys. I feel good. I’ve been running my ass off, on the treadmill and stuff. I get to have a little fruit. Lightweight’s rough man. Guys do it for my size but I’m definitely tall so there’s not much for me to lose.”
Anderson: “I’ve been here but I never got to fight here. I came to London, I was matched up with MVP, they brought me out here for a press conference and there wasn’t a virus so I got to run around and stuff. Now I get to say I’ve been to Italy.”
Anderson: “I definitely could have made Lightweight. I was about to tell Rich the matchmaker that ‘Yeah I want something like three months out, a top Lightweight.’ And then they just offered me this fight on three weeks notice so I was like ‘Yeah that sounds good. Let’s do that.’ I used to be able to eat so much when I was younger but now it’s a little bit tougher. I walk around about 180 now. I just want big fights. Wherever I can get a title soon and then I’ll move on from there.”
Norbert Novenyi Jr.: “I can’t wait. I’ve put so much work into it. I haven’t fought in a year. The last few months since lockdown I’ve been putting mad work in. Now I can’t wait to showcase my skills.”
Novenyi: “I think there’s always a pressure whether you’ve got a loss or you’re unbeaten. It just motivates me to train harder and work harder so I can keep that 0.”
Novenyi: “I just want to show people my skills. I’m not underrated because I get to fight co-main event, but I feel people still don’t understand the level I’m on. Look at what Will Fleury just did and look what I did with him. I think that shows my level.”
Novenyi: “You always have to learn. This is mixed martial arts and that’s why it is so beautiful. I feel like it’s the meaning of life to learn, to be a better man better fighter whatever you want to be you have to learn. I’m just excited to learn new stuff in life and in fighting.”
Kate Jackson: “I’m really excited for the opportunity because I wasn’t sure anything was going to happen in Europe this year. I’ve been working on improving my game. The UK lockdown was a little bit inconvenient there but I have a small group of training partners so I’ve still been able to train.”
Jackson: “Going the distance for me (with Macfarlane) was a big deal because I hadn’t gone a five round fight before. Holding up mentally, fighting in front of her home crowd, being the other wise of the world, all of that — it didn’t really phase me.”
Jackson: “Perhaps I should have tried harder with takedowns but it’s really hard to second guess fights. She was just that much better than me.”
Jackson: “Obviously she (Kielholtz) has a much better striking background, but yeah realistically I would hope that my ground game is better than hers.”
Jackson: “In hindsight five weeks off isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things but not knowing how long it would be is difficult. I don’t take time off.”
Jackson: “Denise is good, she’s got a solid game, but I’d like to hope I have a bit more experience there. Obviously she’s got a very extensive kickboxing background, she’s not a stranger to competing at a high level, but in MMA I’m definitely more experienced.”
Jackson: “I came in here having a lot of fights on the regional scene, and with Bellator it’s great to have this platform and the ability to fight good opponents, and that they have a pool of opponents they can match me with. I spent a lot of time desperately trying to find UK and European opponents when there weren’t many around.”
Brian Moore: “This has been a long time coming and the improvements I’ve made in 18 months are insane. I can’t wait to show it. It’s a big deal both at home and in the states. It will be the first fight on CBS Sports and to my Irish fans to see me fight live will be a big deal. This fight will be a statement fight and I’m glad more people will get to see it.”
Moore: “I’ve been working on everything as I always do. I built my own gym, so I’ve been able to do even more hours. I have the balls to step up to high level opponents on short notice and other guys don’t.”
Moore: “I had so many different opponents and opponent changes that I just said fuck it, I’m focusing on me.”
Moore: “I have asked myself these questions too but I’m a fighter. I’m meant to fight whenever. Any of these guys when I’ve been given a camp I’ve destroyed these guys. I can keep going in my career with the anywhere, any time attitude and I think eventually it will bring me a belt.”
Chris Duncan: “I don’t think I need to focus too much on my opponent. All the preparation I’ve put in since February has been a massive training camp for myself.”
Duncan: “One of the biggest things I gained (last time) was the energy from the crowd. You can use it as your advantage rather than a hindrance. I really took on all the stress and animosity and used it.”
Duncan: “I think I’m going to have to think about this as more of a, not a spar but, I think it will give me more time to think in there and be in tune with my own mind.”
Duncan: “I played rugby at a very young age and to be totally honest because I lived a bit further away it was a struggle for my grandparents to drive me, and the other guys had weights to lift and I didn’t, so if I had that I might have been a far better rugby player. I think this is my calling though and where I need to be.”
Denise Kielholtz: “Right now this is such a crazy time how COVID affects so many people in so many negative ways. I feel blessed that I’m now here and able to fight in beautiful Milan and happy that even in this critical time we can fight and do our work.”
Kielholtz: “The seven months of COVID I just kept training. Even though the gyms are closed I train outside. My husband Hesdy Gerges is also a fighter so we trained a little bit different but we trained. When gyms opened again I saw my condition wasn’t that far back.”
Kielholtz: “(Jackson) was a good opponent (for Macfarlane) but also I saw some weaknesses, and I think her weaknesses are going to be my strengths. I will expect the best version of Kate Jackson. We will see and for sure I will do my best to make the win for me.”
Kielholtz: “Yes my weight has never been a problem. In the Flyweight division it’s not good to be that light. I’m exactly on the Flyweight category and I’m just right on weight. I don’t have to lose weight, I don’t have to cut weight. I don’t have to make a big effort to get on this weight. I let the universe decide what’s best for me.”
Kielholtz: “At first I just focus on this fight and after this fight for sure if the fans want me to be the next challenger, I’m in it. It just depends on Bellator. Right now I’m just focused on this fight and to show the best of me. It all depends on the best of me. After this if they say she’s going to fight for the title, let’s go. For me every win is a title fight.”
Paul Daley: “Yeah I feel good you know, fortunate that I’m able to do my job in these crazy times, unpredictable time. It’s good that Bellator has been able to put together a good card, a good run of cards, and allow us to do what we do.”
Daley: “I’ve had time with my family, which I think a lot of people during this pandemic have been appreciated more. It’s also given me a lot of time to rest which I think my body needed. It was good to rest for a little bit.”
Daley: “I’ve had this question (about MVP) earlier on today. I want to compete three more times under this contract, including this fight I’ve got coming up. Scott Coker said that Lorenz Larkin is the No. 1 contender and I knocked him out, and I think a fight for an interim title between me and MVP would be interesting. If I’m going to compete with anyone that’s the fight that makes sense.”
Daley: “I don’t rank (Anderson) very highly. Fighting at 170 against me is probably not the best choice. I don’t see him lasting long. I’ll knock him out pretty early on.”
Daley: “It’s good to see (Masvidal) doing well because he’s a veteran like myself and he’s put in the work and come up right from the bottom. It’s took me a while to find a home, somewhere I’ve been happy and active and had good fights against decent opponents. Bellator is the place. I’m happy for the past five years.”
Daley: “I don’t really want to announce a retirement but it’s the end of this contract for what I’m committed to. I wouldn’t call it retirement. I would call it three more fights left.”
Daley: “There’s people in really difficult situations unable to pay the bills and going through struggle really, and I’m able to earn a very substantial wage from fighting here, and I’m fortunate. I’m extremely grateful.”
Daley: “I just want to get out of there healthy and finish the fight as quickly as possible, look forward to what Bellator will line up in the future.”
Daley: “There’s not really a fight I want next. I said earlier that I think I’m deserving of a title shot since Coker said Lorenz Larkin is next and I dispatched him with ease. I was supposed to fight Koreshkov on this card and I would have beaten him also. You can leave the contract blank. Put the title in there and put any name on it and I’m good to go.”
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