(Photo via Tatame.com)
Former Sengoku featherweight champ Marlon Sandro (18-2) is looking to become a champion once again, but he’s got to beat three more opponents to do it.
Sandro is fighting in Bellator Fighting Championships “Summer Series” featherweight tournament and has already moved on to the semi-finals with a split decision win over fellow Brazilian Genair da Silva last month at Bellator 46.
In his quest for the title he’ll first have to defeat Argentine Nazareno Malegarie on July 23 at Bellator 47 to do it, and then defeat either Pat Curran or Ronnie Mann in the finals to claim the “Summer Series” Featherweight tournament. Then, and only then, will he earn a shot at the Bellator 145 lb champ Joe Warrren who is currently scheduled to defend his title on the same date against Patricio ‘Pitbull’ Freire.
Speaking to Tatame.com, Sandro spoke about his upcoming fight and his dream of winning another title.
“(Nazareno Malegarie) has a pretty good Jiu-Jitsu level, he comes from a great school, of Thiago Tavares, has good takedowns… I’ll keep training hard so I can block his game and make it easier for me to play my game… ”
“I’m focused and I have my feet on the ground. I’ve fought two GPs and I won one of them, I did all bouts on the same day, and now we have time to get back together. Each out is another step taken, so I can’t undermine my opponents. I’ll make room for myself and no one will take it away from me, but I’ll be patience. I want to become the champion of the GP and get the Bellator belt too… ”
“I’ll train Jiu-Jitsu to fix some positions I let escape from me on this bout. Each bout I do I go and watch it all over again to find out the mistakes I made along with my team. Of course we’re setting a game plan, so if he wants to strike, we’ll have a stand-up fight, but if it goes to the ground I’ll use my Jiu-Jitsu.”
Fighting in a Grand Prix tournament isn’t anything new for Sandro, who fought in two tournaments in the past. He won his first tournament back in 2004, fighting multiple times in one night in Brazil at the start of his career fighting at a local event. He would lose his second tournament, a close split decision loss to Michihiro Omigawa, in the Sengoku Grand Prix Semi-Finals in 2009.