Nick Newell had an incredibly meaningful win at Bellator 225. Not only was the first-round stoppage his first fight in a big promotion, but it also took place in his home state of Connecticut.
Bridgeport, CT – Nick Newell was overcome with emotions after a monumental accomplishment at Bellator 225. While he did fight in WSOF, Newell’s bout in Bellator was his first in a bonafide top promotion. The lightweight fought back tears to explain what the win meant to him.
“Definitely the biggest fight of my career. I trying to really hold back the emotion. I might start crying. Sometimes it’s not a big deal to a lot of people but I’ve come a really long way,” Newell paused to hold back tears, then continued, “I have won a lot of fights, and I have lost and I’ve been counted out. I’ve been saying that all I want to do is fight in the big leagues. All I want is an opportunity. I’ve had opportunities and I’ve failed. But I kept working. I kept grinding. I stayed the course, I didn’t quit. I told myself I wasn’t good enough at times and my team lifted me back up. My family lifted me back up.”
Newell was desperate for this opportunity and stayed dedicated to achieving his goal. The offer came and Newell jumped all over it.
“I don’t do anything but this. For some people, this is a hobby. They go out and party. I’m a family man, and I work towards my goal of being the best fighter in the world. Whether or not I become the best fighter in the world, we won’t know unless I try my hardest. If you quit, that’s never going to happen. I stuck with it. I begged Bellator for this opportunity, literally begging them. Tweeting them nonstop. And thank you, Rich Chou, for the opportunity.”
Nick Newell had a tough task in the form of Corey Browning, who had defeated two Bellator prospects in Baby Slice and Aaron Chalmers. Browning was unable to add another big name to his list as Newell won by first-round arm triangle.
“I fought a guy that maybe wasn’t the most intimidating looking guy. But I’m not the most intimidating looking guy. One thing I learned in life is to never judge a book by its cover. This man was a very dangerous opponent. 2-0 in the Bellator cage against two of their prospects. Two guys that they’re really trying to build up. They put him against me and I took him out in the first round. I did what my team said I would do. I don’t like to talk about what I’m going to do. I don’t like to be vocal a lot. I like to train hard and be confident and go out there and show you what I’m capable of. My team told me exactly what was going to happen and it did. I’ve been with them for 15 years and we have a great thing going on.”
Check out the rest of Nick Newell’s Bellator 225 post-fight scrum above!
