Neiman Gracie was hoping to face a top Bellator opponent to get back on track after losing to now interim champion Logan Storley.
Instead, he had to settle with Goiti Yamauchi.
As he focuses on passing the jiu-jitsu ace on Friday at Bellator 284, Gracie sets his sights on avenging another recent loss.
“Jason Jackson is out there, and I’ve been crazy doing this rematch with him for a while now,” Gracie said on MMA Fighting. free exchange. “I think I won last time, and I asked Bellator for that rematch, and I think we can get him going again if he doesn’t decide to wait. [for a title shot].
“I hope to fight him after this one, to catch him and see who really wins this fight. But I want it to be five rounds.
Gracie has lost three of her last five after a strong 9-0 start to her career. He’s not necessarily okay with a split decision upset against Jason Jackson at Bellator 255. He offered to sit and wait for the Jackson’s winner against Douglas Lima at Bellator 283, but Bellator had other options. planes.
Now, after Jackson’s dominant five-round decision over Lima, Gracie believes a rematch with Jackson is the next logical step after Bellator 284, which is being held at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, SD.
Welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov is expected to unify his title against Storley in the near future, so Jackson may have some time off. But first, Gracie must outrun Yamauchi.
Gracie called his fellow Brazilian a dangerous matchup despite a lack of positioning in Bellator’s promotional rankings. Similar to Gracie, Yamauchi has submitted the majority of opponents he has faced throughout his MMA career.
“Il [holds the record] for most submissions in Bellator and is considered one of the best jiu-jitsu fighters,” Gracie said. “If I beat him, I can take that title away from him. And if he beats me, he can take my place in the standings.
Even though they are both decorated grapplers, Gracie sees differences in his style on the ground compared to Yamauchi.
“He’s very dangerous and goes to the finish immediately on the arm, back, so he’s very much like me,” Gracie said. “I think the only difference is maybe I try to control the fight more before I submit. [my opponent]and he’s different — he goes straight into submission, one after the other, so that makes him very dangerous.
“Normally the guys I fight try to run off the ground. I don’t believe he will, I hope. Sometimes wrestlers and grapplers become attackers. I hope he will agree to argue with me. I trained a lot of jiu-jitsu for this fight, [in addition to] what I train in punching and wrestling. I am ready to represent once more.
“I don’t think it will last five rounds. I think someone submits it first, or by knockout. I always count on it. I never go there without expecting to end a fight.
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