Tyrell Fortune returns to action in the co-main event of Friday’s Bellator 271, looking to make it four wins in a row — the sort of streak that, were the title picture a little less murky, might put him within striking distance of a world championship.
Instead, Fortune (11-1, 1NC) enters Friday’s showdown with Linton Vassell in a bit of a grey area.
“We’ll have to wait and see what happens at the beginning of next year. We’ll have to see if Bader comes back to defend his title and that will pretty much tell us a lot about where we go and who I should be fighting next,” Fortune told Cageside Press during Wednesday’s Bellator 271 media day.
Bader was recently knocked out of the light heavyweight grand prix — literally. Russia’s Valentin Moldavsky holds interim gold.
Then there’s the Fedor part of the equation. Fedor Emelianenko stormed back into the rankings with a knockout win over Tim Johnson in Moscow last month. There has been talk, though nothing official, that he might jump the line and fight for the belt, with just a single fight left on his contract — and perhaps in his career.
“As far as Fedor, he only has one more fight left on his contract, so what do I care who he fights next?” Fortune said in response to that possibility.
Giving his breakdown of Vassell, a former light heavyweight title challenger, Fortune noted that “I think he’s a veteran of the sport. He’s been around for a long time. 30 or more fights under his belt. He’s a kickboxer from Britain and he’s a tough guy in general so I know what he has to offer and I know what he brings to the table. If he tries to wrestle me, we all know how that’s going to go.”
Watch the full Bellator 271 media day appearance from Tyrell Fortune above. More coverage of the event can be found below.
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Cris Cyborg
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Valerie Loureda
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Aaron Pico
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Linton Vassell
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Tyrell Fortune
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Justin Gonzales
