(Photo via Bellator)
By CP Reader Chris Huntemann
With the last name Sullivan, you would think Method MMA and Baltimore BJJ’s Robert Sullivan would be popular with a certain sect of people. And you would be right.
Sullivan fought for the third time late last month for CES MMA, an organization based out of Providence, R.I. He notched his second win in the organization via unanimous decision and seems to have built a small following up there, if you ask Sullivan.
“Being it’s in Providence, they seem to like the Irish quite a bit,” Sullivan told me on Facebook recently. “My first time up there last year I beat a hometown hero, so I think that won me some respect. I got offered to come up there probably to be meat the first time. Now I’m 2-1 with the organization.”
Sullivan focused a lot on boxing during his training camp, by virtue of his opponent being a strong striker. Sullivan’s training camp was also a bit more arduous this time around.
“Training and coaching wrestling all day just had me a little overworked,” Sullivan said. “Also, some of my training partners coach wrestling at other schools so we were making what we could work.”
While Sullivan has also fought for organizations like Bellator, he found that promotion in mixed martial arts is pretty uniform.
“You sit around for a long time at weigh-ins – they are never ever on time,” Sullivan said. “You do all the doctor crap, make weight, fill back up, get some rest and fight.”
When it finally came time to fight, Sullivan felt the tone of the fight early, and hard.
“I got nailed early on with the hardest punch I’ve ever felt in a fight,” he said. “I was happy I ate it, but it messed my nose up pretty bad.”
Sullivan recovered to dominate the rest of the fight, despite feeling his gas tank empty toward the end.
“The last minute or so, I burned out,” he said. “My one regret from my last camp was not getting in the proper amount of running. So needless to say, that final round between my busted nose and lack of running, I was digging deep. I was happy with my performance overall, but I always want to improve on things. I never try to feel satisfied.”
Sullivan plans to fight again in April at Shogun Fights in Baltimore.
Chris Huntemann writes about mixed martial arts in the state of Maryland. He also contributes his thoughts to our site on the UFC, Bellator, and World Series of Fighting. Check out his blog, or follow him on Twitter: @mmamaryland.