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.”
UFC featherweight champion 
Jacob Volkmann