Dalton Rosta kept the nerves to a minimum in his pro debut win at Bellator 219 over the weekend in Temecula, CA.
Temecula, CA — A collegiate wrestler who missed out on NCAA action due to injury. A boxer, and successful amateur mixed martial artist. Dalton Rosta is one of those fighters Bellator seems to have a knack for finding: a young prospect with little experience, but a lot of upside.
With a pro record of 0-0 when he signed with Bellator earlier this year, Rosta didn’t have a huge following in the sport. What he had was potential. He started the journey to fulfilling that at Bellator 219 over the weekend.
Going in, the light heavyweight was making his pro debut. Coming out of the event, he’s 1-0. It wasn’t quite the way he wanted it, with opponent Cody Vidal going down to a knee injury. Still, said Rosta post-fight, it “feels great. I knew I was going to come here and win.”
Speaking to media members including Cageside Press, he continued by saying that “the goal was a first round finish. I got that. I guess he got a knee injury. I hope he’s alright. Hope that heals up well. Ultimately, I came in here and did what I was supposed to do.”
What he was supposed to do was win. He did little else during his amateur days. Which helped him get past any jitters. “The only nerves I had, it wasn’t being under the Bellator banner, it was being the first to fight,” he explained. “Through all my boxing matches, through all my MMA fights, through all my wrestling matches, I’d never competed first. That’s where any nerves and any pressure came from. But I overcame that.”
In fact there was really only one hiccup. “I felt in a rhythm, I warmed up really well, I felt great walking to the cage actually,” Rosta said. However, when it came time to fight, “I was kind of mad, I felt like they came and got me a little early, because when we got down here, I cooled off a little bit. And I was wearing my sweats and everything. I wish I didn’t.”
Once he did get in the cage, “once the spotlight was on me, everything hit me. I’ve been here since Tuesday, I signed back in January, and it didn’t actually hit until I got into the cage. But it felt great.”
With his career as a Bellator fighter official, Rosta doesn’t want to waste much time. “I want to fight again as soon as possible. I see they have a card in May. May or June, that’s how soon I want to be back in the cage.”
Dalton Rosta (@2oofast) first round TKO vs. Cody Vidal in professional debut— “I’m the champ!” #Bellator219 pic.twitter.com/NvvPcK50kV
— Damian Joseph Trott (@DamianJTrott) March 30, 2019
In fact, the only real negative over the weekend? Southwest cancelled his flight home!
You gotta love when @SouthwestAir cancels your flight and you don’t get notified until you drive an hour and a half to the airport. Only to be told I can’t fly out until tomorrow. You guys gonna pay for my hote tonight?
— Dalton Rosta (@2oofast) March 31, 2019
