It’s more than a little hard to believe Marcin Held is just 23 years old.
For starters, he’s been a professional mixed martial artist since September of 2008, a span of nearly seven years (that made you feel old, huh?).
He received his first taste of combat inside the steel cage at 16. He began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu at 9 and boxing at 15. His life to this point has been defined by combat, and this constant immersion in the world of punches, kicks, knees, takedowns and submissions has lent him a certain calm under fire rarely seen by someone his age.
Even though virtually the entire nation of Poland will be rooting for him Friday evening, and a lightweight title shot is likely on the line against Sarnavskiy, Held refuses to get flustered. He’s in control of his emotions, and he’s focused on the task at hand.
He’s a lifelong fighter, after all, and this is nothing new.
“It’s very nice [to have the Polish support],” Held told Bleacher Report. “[But] I’m not really thinking about this. I’m trying to do what I have to do. I’m trying hard, and I’m doing everything I can to not fail. There’s no pressure for me.”
Perhaps it’s the heavy accent. Perhaps it’s his stellar 20-3 record with 15 finishes that reminds you he’s a cold-blooded killer inside the cage. Perhaps it’s the fact that, at 23, he’s already accomplished more in his MMA career than most prospects will achieve in a lifetime.
Whatever it is, there’s no denying Held owns a certain mystique. His words come out direct and to the point, and he doesn’t reach for hyperbole to describe his accomplishments. To him, it’s just his path. This is what he’s meant to do.
Even when talking about his stellar Brazilian jiu-jitsu background—which has seen him capture several prestigious medals in both gi and no-gi divisions—Held refuses to admit he’s something special. They call him “The Polish Prodigy,” but to hear him tell it, he’s anything but.
“I think Brazilian jiu-jitsu is for everyone,” Held said. “You don’t need something special to be good at it. There are a lot of different techniques, a lot of different moves, and everyone can adapt their styles to themselves.”
As his matchup with Sarnavskiy approaches, Held remains calm and focused. Sarnavskiy‘s 30-2 record contains seven knockouts and 18 submissions, and the Russian fighter will, by most accounts, own an advantage in the striking department on fight night.
To the rapidly evolving Held, though, his opponent’s skills are nothing to fret.
“He’s very good standing, but I’ve had fights like this before where my opponent was better standing,” Held said. “So I know what to do. I’ve done a lot of stand-up with my coach to prepare.”
Held is even less concerned about Sarnavskiy‘s 18 submission victories. Held is a whiz on the ground, and despite owning only 11 submission victories of his own, he sees the ground game as a major advantage for himself at Bellator 136.
“A lot of people are saying he’s a good grappler because he has a lot of submissions, but his submissions are always after a big punch when he knocks his opponent down; then he goes and submits them,” Held said. “He knows what to do on the ground, but I still think I have a big advantage there.”
While he’s not looking past Sarnavskiy by any stretch, Held looks forward to a rematch with another lightweight competitor on Friday’s card.
In the main event, Dave Jansen will challenge for Will Brooks’ lightweight title, a fight that Held will watch diligently.
He previously lost to Jansen at Bellator 93 in the finals of the Bellator Season Seven Lightweight Tournament, and now he wants his revenge.
“I want Dave Jansen to win,” Held said. “I would like a fight with him again…I made some mistakes with my strategy—I lost too much power in the second round, and in the third round I was exhausted. Now I think I’m much better. Now I think the fight would go differently.”
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