After months of preparation and promotion, Bellator 134 takes place in Connecticut, America tonight, and the 32-year-old is in line to become one of the sport’s global greats; should he defeat defending champion Emmanuel Newton.
No Brit has even won a world championship belt in MMA, but with nine convincing first-round victories on record since turning professional in 2012, the 6-foot 6-inch powerhouse certainly has the potential to change that in front of a worldwide audience.
| McGeary | Newton | |
|---|---|---|
| 32 | Age | 31 |
| 198 | Height (cm) | 185 |
| 93 | Weight (kg) | 92 |
| 9 | Wins | 25 |
| 0 | Losses | 7 |
| 0 | Draws | 1 |
Headlining the multi-million dollar franchise’s ‘British Invasion’ at the Mohegan Sun Arena in the early hours of tomorrow morning, McGeary is understandably aware of what Newton is capable of. But the Islander himself is confident, and after spending this week mentally preparing for battle – and fulfilling national media obligations – he remains calm.
‘I’m going to do what I do and the fight will finish when it finishes,’ said McGeary in response to the suggestion of yet another first-round victory.
With father John at his side in America, along with Jersey-based promotor Mike Cañas and Island photographer John Liot, McGeary is ‘going through the motions’ after his last tough training session on Monday. Weight checks, promotional photoshoots and light workouts are now the order of the day, and Cañas says the mood in camp is positive.
‘Liam is ready for a fight, it’s that simple,’ Cañas said. ‘He is channelling his energy and is ready to do it right now. His father is here at the moment and as someone who knows him best he has said that Liam performs best when he is in this kind of combative mood. Liam will be ready to smile and party after the fight, but right now it’s about business and he is ready to go.’
Cañas said that Islanders wanting to watch the fight live are encouraged to visit www.spike.com or www.bellator.com for streaming and television options for the weekend. The main card begins at 2 am UK time.
