Fresh off his submission victory over Josh Barnett at last month’s UFC on FOX 18 event (see it again here), Ben Rothwell is gearing up to get right back into the swing of things as he faces Junior dos Santos in the main event of UFC Fight Night 86, which takes place on April 10, 2016, inside Zagreb Arena in Zagreb, Croatia, live on FOX Sports 1.
With a win over “Cigano,” Rothwell sets himself up nicely for a shot at the heavyweight title.
As “Big Ben” declared on The MMA Hour, a five-fight win streak — coupled with the fans lobbying for a title shot — will be the perfect recipe to get UFC matchmakers on board, as well.
“Five fight win streak in the heavyweight division, winning the way I am against the competition I’m winning against, I feel the realm of fans saying they want this, we know that affects the UFC. I believe the wave of the fans will happen with a fifth victory. I feel the wave now, it was already there, but I feel a fifth win is going to put it over the top and no one on this planet except for a few critics, and they are always going to be there, but I feel 90-percent of everyone is going to say that I am the No. 1 contender and that’s the way I want it.”
Though he hasn’t been guaranteed a shot at the title with a win over “JDS,” Rothwell says the rumblings he’s heard at least have him in the conversation for a potential championship fight.
And it doesn’t matter against who, as Ben says each and every 265-pound contender has fear in them when it comes to facing him inside the eight-walled cage. That said, “Big Ben” believes his opponents think twice about accepting to sign on the dotted line.
“Let’s be serious, fear exists in all these men’s hearts, especially when they watch me fight. It’s just there. How each one of them deals with the effect of it, it’s all different. But I think they’re smart as they think, ‘Okay, I’m going to get paid the same to fight this guy or this guy.’ I’m not the guy they pick, why would you?”
Confident.
Rothwell has dominated his previous four foes in impressive fashion, but the former IFL fighter has also shown that not only can he lay out the best of them with his heavy hands, but his jiu-jitsu skills are just as dangerous, as he submitted Matt Mitrione and the aforementioned Barnett in consecutive fights.
Which means Junior — who was knocked out by Overeem in his previous bout — will have his work cut out for him if he wants to get back on the winning track.