In this Bloody Elbow interview, Bellator Kickboxing fighter Kevin Ross talks about what fans can expect from him when he kicks off the Bellator Kickboxing debut show this weekend.
This weekend, Bellator launches their new Bellator Kickboxing promotion with Bellator Kickboxing: Torino. The company’s debut show is in Italy this Saturday, April 16, and will air one week later on Spike. For their kick-off event, Bellator has filled the card with exciting, action-oriented fighters, many American. Leading the pack is Kevin Ross, the Muay Thai champion who will kick-off the show when he takes on Italy’s Matteo Taccini.
In anticipation of the fight, I spoke to Ross about the move to Bellator, and what new fans can expect to see out of him here. Here is what he had to say.
On the transition between Kickboxing and Muay Thai:
I’ve taken kickboxing fights in the past so it’s not that big of an adjustment for me. My style is pretty similar to both, so where I think some people have trouble adjusting, I enjoy both. If anything, my Muay Thai experience helps me because I’m someone who likes to push the pace, use my hands, my kicks. In Muay Thai fights I have a lot more things to worry about, but in kickboxing I can just go in there and let it go. In a 3 round fight you don’t have time to waste, you don’t have time to get into a rhythm. Everything is so compressed. I’m probably someone who prefers fights to go longer because I’m going to go forever and most people can’t keep up. But I’m good with either one.
On the perceived need for an American kickboxing star:
Something that has hurt promotions in the past is that they bring these big names over. And people who are in the sport know them, we know them. But you’re not trying to bring in people who are already fans of the sport, you’re trying to bring in new viewers. And if you spend all this money to bring in these big names from overseas, you’re not getting those new fans. It always surprised me that people don’t understand that. If you’re bringing in Americans or local fighters that’s going to bring new fans because they’re excited to see someone they know.
On his style, his influences, and what fans can expect when they see him for the first time:
No matter what, when I go in there it’s exciting. That’s just what I do, and it’s something I pride myself on. No matter what happens when I fight, people are going to be excited, they’re going to feel like they got their money worth, and they’re going to want to see more of me. That’s my ultimate goal every time I get in there.
If people want to know me, they should watch my first fight with Tetsuya Yamato. And maybe my fight with Saenchai, who’s one of the greatest fighters of all time. But I think any fight you look up of mine, you’re going to get a sense of what I do.
I’ve always been someone who looks up to people who fight like I do – who put on exciting fights and bring it no matter what. It’s not who wins or loses, the most important thing is if you got your money’s worth. Arturo Gatti is my all time favorite fighter. Watching him always motivated me, made me say I want to fight like him. I want people to not even remember if I won or lost, but to remember what I put out there. That’s the most important thing. That isn’t exactly the safest and smartest style, so a lot of people who fight like that don’t have the greatest record, but when all is said and done, you don’t remember the record, you think about great fights. And that’s what I want.
See Kevin Ross in action at Bellator Kickboxing airing next Friday, April 22 on Spike.