Inglewood, CA – It was an elbow that ended their last bout, and another that got the victory for Bellator welterweight Lorenz Larkin when he used one to defeat Mukhamed Berkhamov at Bellator 290 on Saturday.
The two first fought at Bellator 283 last July where the fight was declared a no-contest following an unintentional, but illegal elbow to the back of the head by Larkin. Berkhamov was unable to continue and the bout was called.
“It’s just another feather in the cap you know. For me it was more so like redemption from what happened last time, and from a lot of people thinking that this fight was going to go the whole other way,” Larkin told Cageside Press among other media.
“I just felt like he had nothing for me. For this fight to happen like that, this was no luck. This is like, I wish there was f*cking cameras in the back of me warming up, these are the things that I work on.”
Redemption following the no-contest from Bellator 283 turned into a highlight reel knockout at Bellator 290.
Even πΎππΌππππ in slow-motion. What a KO by @da_MONSOON!
π» @MonsterEnergy Prelims fueled by @NorthgateGlzMrk | Bellator YouTube
πΊ #Bellator290 | πͺπ©πΊ & π·ππππππππ+ | 9pm ET / 6pm PT pic.twitter.com/h3fAauR4Ge
β BellatorMMA (@BellatorMMA) February 5, 2023
“Im more happy in this moment just to show off the hard work that me and my team’s been putting in.”
With no real injuries to nurse Larkin has set his sights on the next Bellator event he wants to fight at.
“Pechanga! Why am I not on Pechanga? That’s my backyard. Every time I’ve fought there it’s been a crazy packed house. I only got a seven-day suspension. Pretty sure my team would love to get back in the gym so. Pechanga,” Larkin said,
Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, CA is the setting for Bellator 293 on March 31. As far as having an opponent in mind Larkin did not have a preference.
“Nope. I never have a name in mind. My thing is Bellator calls me, they give me a name, I text back or say yes. That’s the end of it,” Larkin said.
“I don’t need to call nobody out. I’ve fought the best of the best. I’m not scared of nobody. I just take the fights. I don’t need to do all the sh*t talking, all the call outs, at the end of the day I just put my f*cking head down. I grind it out and I keep showing up. That’s all I do. Lace these f*cking boots and go to work.”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Lorenz Larkin above.
