FORT HOOD, Texas – It seems like everywhere Joey Beltran turns the last few months, there’s Matt Mitrione.
Beltran fought Mitrione at UFC 119 in September in Mitrione’s Indianapolis back yard, losing a decision. A few weeks after the fight, Mitrione spent a day working with Beltran and the team at Alliance MMA outside San Diego. And the next thing Beltran knew, he was signing up for a fight against Pat Barry – the same Pat Barry who is a regular training partner of Mitrione.
Beltran said Thursday that comments he claims Mitrione made after working with Team Alliance had him a little perturbed – and he admitted he might still be a little perturbed, but that he won’t let it get in the way of his heavyweight tussle with Barry on Saturday’s Fight for the Troops 2 card.
“We had some candid conversation, where I thought we were talking amongst boys,” Beltran said. “He came out, and it was all good – we opened our doors to him at Alliance MMA. He came through, worked out and we had a conversation, talking about the fight and how it went down, and he said some disrespectful stuff afterward. And we’ll address that when the time comes. Let’s just say that I’ve got a special place in my heart for Matt Mitrione, and it will always be there. (But) it doesn’t matter. I’ll be able to focus on Pat Barry.”