Welterweight Neiman Gracie will look to return to the win column this Friday, as he headlines Bellator 284 against another Brazilian grappler, Goiti Yamauchi.
“I hope to be challenging for the title soon again,” Neiman Gracie stated during Wednesday’s Bellator 284 media day. It’s not outside the realm of possibility.
Gracie (11-3) is coming off a loss to Logan Storley, who currently holds interim gold in Bellator’s welterweight division. Though he lost a decision against “Storm,” as Gracie pointed out, the bout was entertaining.
“I think a lot of people liked [it], but a lot of people were criticizing it because the fight was an all-striking fight. But hey, I made Logan Storley look fun,” Gracie exclaimed. “I made Logan Storley have a fun fight. How hard is that, right?”
If Neiman Gracie does work his way back to a title shot, there’s a good chance his fun fight style will be a big part of it. It’s something the promotion clearly likes.
“How can they not like it? I make fun fights, all of my fights have been fun,” he stated. “I always try to go for the finish, or if I’m not able to finish, it’s always a great, great fight. So it’s good.”
Against Yamauchi, Gracie is expecting to see more mat time then against Storley.
“I think it’s going to be more grappling in this fight, because he’s not afraid to go to the floor,” Gracie predicted. “Logan Storley was afraid to go to the floor, no disrespect, but he actually said that. I don’t think Goiti’s going to be afraid, and I think we’re going to be able to do a nice grappling fight, like I did with Ed Ruth.”
Bellator 284 takes place this Friday, August 12, 2022 at the Sanford Pentagon in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Neiman Gracie faces Goiti Yamauchi in the main event.
