Jay Jay Wilson finds himself in a number one contender’s bout this Friday at Bellator 265.
It’s clearly a very important match-up for Wilson, who will take on Adam Borics in the co-main event of the card. In an exclusive interview with Cageside Press ahead of the fight, Wilson (8-0) was certainly excited for the future.
“I think this is a great match-up, and I think it’s a great step in my career, heading towards the title. I’m excited to go out there and show that I deserve a title shot,” said Wilson, who went on to add that “especially with what just happened with A.J. McKee and [Patricio] Pitbull, I want to go out there and prove I deserve a shot to be in there with them.”
McKee dethroned the featherweight champ just weeks ago, in the process cementing himself as one of the greatest talents to arrive in mixed martial arts in the past several years.
“I feel like the whole division’s been changed now,” Wilson said of the title changing hands. “Pitbull’s been on a reign for years. For A.J. McKee to come out and not just finish him, but put on a stellar performance— he came out there, he established his range right away, he put Pitbull on the backfoot right away. And he landed a beautiful head kick.”
Wilson feels McKee took advantage of one of Pitbull’s tendencies, “where he likes to dip and counter with the left hook and right cross, which is great, because he’s knocked a lot of people out with he. [McKee] picked up on that tendency, and he landed that head kick with it.” From there, as Wilson put it, Pitbull was on ice skates.
Now, Wilson may very well have his own chance to make history in the coming months. If you think it’s a bit soon for a young fighter heading into his ninth pro fight — and who is looking to start a family — Wilson put it another way.
“I’m young, but I have an old soul I think. I had to mature quickly when I was a kid,” he told us. “I’ve been doing martial arts since I was 15 years old, competing ever since I was 15 years old. I had my first MMA fight at 15, and I fought an adult. Ever since I was 15 years old, my whole life has been mixed martial arts. I feel like I’ve got a lot of experience in those eight or nine years.”
Should he get the win against Borics, the biggest question may very well become about when Wilson gets his title shot. The New Zealand native, like everyone else, isn’t sure what the newly crowned 145lb champ’s next month is. There’s going up to 55 to challenge for Pitbull’s other title. There’s running it back at 145lbs. Or facing someone else entirely.
“If I was in his shoes, I’d rather go run it back at 55 with the same person,” admitted Wilson. “But who knows what he’s going to do. I don’t want to be put on ice.” The way Wilson sees it, Pitbull likely has a six month layoff after the McKee fight, given the damage the Brazilian took. “If he’s got a six month layoff, they’re not fighting for the next six months. Which puts it on to the next year. So if they’re going to fight for the 55lb belt next year, how long is it going to take for McKee to come back to the 45lb division?”
“We’re talking about nine months to a year of no chance of anyone fighting for the belt,” Wilson went on to point out. “I don’t want to go into this fight, become the number one contender, and then have to be put on ice for a whole year because the champ doesn’t want to come defend this belt.”
If that is the case, said Wilson, “they should make an interim title. And we can fight for it, me and Adam Borics, or the winner of us can fight whoever for the interim title.”
Watch our full interview with Jay Jay Wilson ahead of Bellator 265 above. The event takes place Friday, August 20 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. For more from Jay Jay, his media day appearance can be viewed below.
