Devin Powell hopes to impress Bellator enough this Thursday to land a multi-fight contract.
Devin Powell has been a fan favorite of the New England area for some time now. A former UFC veteran, signed off ‘Dana White’s Lookin for a Fight’, Powell has been through it all. Injuries forced him from his UFC journey early, but Bellator made the smart decision to sign Powell for an appearance. What came from that Bellator 232 bout was ESPN highlights, all featuring Powell’s impressive mounted guillotine finish.
In the end, it wasn’t enough for the promotion to sign him full time. But Powell hopes to force Bellator’s hand with another impressive showing.
“They [Bellator] are treating me way better this fight,” Powell told Cageside Press ahead of his return at Bellator 252. “I’m getting four times more. It still isn’t where I wanna be at all but it is what it is. I was hoping I’d get a contract and get paid,” Powell continued. adding “I gotta perform this one, really tough opponent. We will put on a really good show.”
Powell has been calling for this fight for some time now. When we spoke with Powell during the pandemic, a name that he called for was Manny Muro. Now, months later, it is set in stone. Muro is coming off a split decision win over DWCS’ alum Nick Newell.
“He had a big win on the same night I had a big win, the stars aligned for this one,” Powell stated.
Although a lover of mixed martial arts, Powell does believe that if his payment situation doesn’t change soon, he could call it a career earlier than any fan of his would like.
“I’ve been doing stunt work in movies, it pays better than fighting,” Powell explained. “Unless I get a really good contract, I’ve got to put some serious stuff into consideration. So I really hope they [Bellator] take care of me after this one so I can keep doing this for a while.”
The Nostos MMA gym owner admits that there is added pressure in this situation leading into Bellator 252. A win could keep his young career rolling into a multi-fight deal, a loss, well could shorten the UFC vet, fan favorite’s career in favor of other obligations. To add to the pressure, Powell will be without his cornerman and friend Joe Lauzon this week.
“There is so much stress with this fight,” Powell stated. “To add to it, Joe Lauzon won’t be at this fight. They won’t allow my wife to go to the hotel with me to help me cut weight. She is taking Joe’s spot so I can have someone with me while cutting weight,” Powell continued. “So I won’t have Joe there, he’s a good friend of mine, a mentor and fellow gym owner. It really stinks.”
Be sure to check out our full interview with Devin Powell above, as he speaks on the realities of fighting, the financial side of MMA, and running his gym during the pandemic. Powell returns this Thursday at Bellator 252 in Uncasville, CT.
