The bantamweight grand prix continues at Bellator 282 this Friday, and Leandro Higo has been paired up with the trash-talking Danny Sabatello in what promises to be a heated match-up.
Sabatello’s trash talk has been so frequent and so high-pitched that it’s been like clockwork, the “Old Faithful” of talking smack. When he arrived at this week’s media day decked out in a shirt proclaiming “Higo Sucks,” few batted an eye. Brazil’s Higo, however, had some choice words of his own for his opponent on Wednesday.
“Actually, he only talks sh*t because he’s a piece of sh*t, so that’s all he has to offer,” Higo (21-5) told Cageside Press, speaking via translator. “Motivation I have, with my camps. Of course, this gives a little more fuel to it, and I’m going to make him pay for everything he said all this time.”
Is Danny Sabatello as good as he believes he is? Higo for one doesn’t think so.
“I think he’s trying to compensate for something. I don’t see him at a higher level than anyone in this division,” he stated. “I think that to me looks like he’s not confident. He’s insecure.”
insecure or not, part of Sabatello’s trash talk has been aimed at Higo missing weight, something he’d done in his last two fights prior to Bellator 282. Asked if he had made any changes to his diet or weight cut, Higo revealed that he had.
“Yes absolutely. I changed a lot of things, the way I was doing things. I didn’t let my weight get too high during the off-season. I cleaned up my diet, I changed a lot of the things that I used to be doing,” said Higo, who went on to add that “right now, I feel the best Leandro Higo that I’ve been in the last five years. I have less than three pounds to cut and I didn’t even start cutting weight. It feels wonderful, I’m feeling really great. I’m not here to talk sh*t, I’m not here to play games, I’m here to be a world champion, and that’s what you guys are going to see.”
The first step, at least, is complete: Higo successfully made weight on Thursday morning.
Watch the full Bellator 282 media day appearance from Leandro Higo above.
