Lorenz Larkin has Fernando Gonzalez to contend with Friday — and after that, he’s looking to run it back with Paul Daley.
Lorenz Larkin has had a rough start to his Bellator MMA career. On Friday, he’ll be hoping the third time’s the charm. After going 0-2 to start his tenure with the promotion, Larkin faces Fernando Gonzalez in the main event at Bellator 193. With both fighters from the area, it’s a fight right in Larkin’s back yard — or it would be, if Gonzalez didn’t live even closer to the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA.
Gonzalez, who missed weight once again for the 180lb catchweight main event, is on a 2-0 win streak heading into the fight. He’s a tough out for anyone, but Larkin has been in tough spots before. He spoke to Cageside Press ahead of tomorrow’s bout about his recent struggles, and Gonzalez accusing him of playing games at Thursday’s weigh-ins.
The accusation of game playing from his Bellator 193 opponent confused Larkin as much as everybody else. “That’s the thing with these fighters. I don’t understand… you can’t lead the people on a string. You’ve got to explain to these people what you mean” Larkin said. “Because nobody knows your innuendos. I don’t even know what the hell he’s talking about. I came, I’m here, I showed up, I made weight. I don’t what other games I can play. I don’t know. I don’t know just like you don’t know. That’s why I was sitting there like ‘please explain to everybody what the hell you mean.'”
The pair will settle it in the cage Friday, of course, and that’s Larkin’s chance to get things back on track. With so many people questioning his recent performances, he kept his message simple. “Just watch. Imma come and perform” he stated. “That’s all I gotta say. I’m gonna get back where I need to be, I’ve been in bad spots before, and this is no different.”
What is different, perhaps, is his next goal. While many would expect Larkin, still a big fish in Bellator’s welterweight division, to be looking to rebuild and go after new champ Rory MacDonald, Larkin has another target in mind: Paul Daley. Daley defeated him last year at Bellator 183 in September. ‘Da Monsoon’ wants to run it back, however, and says Daley offered him the chance.
“He gave me his word that we could run it back. I’m going to do the right thing to run it back” he said, noting that he just needs a win to get there. “I’m gonna deserve it. I’ll fight one time, get that W, and we can get that rematch. Like he said. If he’s a man of his word, I respect the hell of him.”
The only problem is, Daley is currently at odds with the promotion, and claimed this week that he’d requested for and been granted his release from the company. Bellator officials later denied Daley had been released, but the bottom line is, Daley is unhappy. Much of that stems from the difficulty booking him with Michael ‘Venom’ Page.
In the meantime, it’s Larkin’s show on Friday. After that, time will tell.
Bellator 193 takes place Friday, January 26 in Temecula, CA. The card airs free on the Paramount Network (formerly Spike TV) starting at 9PM.
