Bellator welterweight Brent Weedman (18-6-1) had a disappointing showing during the promotions season four tournament, losing to Jay Hieron by unanimous decision in the semi-finals.
Many felt the fight was a lot closer than the judges 29-28 scores across the board indicated, some going so far as naming Weedman the winner. That defeat ended a ten fight win streak for the 27-year-old.
Weedman has since recovered mentally from that loss and will begin that journey once more this Saturday as part of Bellator’s season five welterweight tournament. At the Bellator 49 event, he is set to meet Chris Lozano at the Atlantic City event, and having learned his lesson about leaving a fight in the judges hands, will look to finish his opponent.
Also taking part in the tournament is former MFC champ Douglas Lima, who Weedman defeated back in 2008 at an AFL event in Atlanta. Lima would very much like a chance to avenge that loss and Weedman would like to give it to him, but he’s got to finish Lozano first.
Speaking to MMAMania.com, Weedman talked about both of these subjects.
Every one of your career victories had been a stoppage coming into that tournament. With that close decision victory over Dan Hornbuckle and the controversial decision loss to Jay Hieron, does that make you want to not get a decision that much more coming into this tournament?
Brent Weedman: It does, more than anything. If you want to win by points, go play basketball. I’m not the guy who’s in the cage trying to score points here, score points there. Dan Hornbuckle is the most awkward human being I’ve ever faced in terms of awkward style and awkward body type. I had a very difficult time putting him away. I had that rear naked choke in the second round but that was a day late and a dollar short. Against Jay Hieron, man, I just didn’t bring my track shoes. I was trying to get him but I had to chase him around the cage. It lit a fire under my ass thinking, “well, that effort isn’t going to get it done, clearly. I’ve got to do it even more.”
Coming into this tournament, one of the new entrants into the field was Douglas Lima. Going back through your record, your fight against Douglas Lima was the turning point of your career. Can you talk about that situation, because that’s where you really took off.
Brent Weedman: That was a big experience for me. At the time, it was my biggest fight not only in status but there were 6000 people, it was the Phillips Arena where the Atlanta Hawks play and 5999 of those people were there to see Douglas Lima. That was a big fight for me, to shut up the home crowd, build some new fans. That was a huge turning point for me, find out what my potential was and scrapping with a guy that was undoubtedly good. I was at a journeyman point of my career and Douglas Lima was a really big name especially in Atlanta at the time which is where he trains.
I know he wants the rematch really bad, he said it when he came over to Bellator in the press release so I’m bound by honor to give it to him. I really hope, and far be it from me to say I’m looking past Chris Lozano or anything like that, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I hoped I got Douglas Lima in the later rounds because that would kill two birds with one stone. If I don’t fight him in this tournament, I’d probably have to fight him another time because he wants it and I owe it to him.