Welterweight Kyle Crutchmer return to the win column at Bellator 297 on Friday, finishing Bobby Nash inside of a round.
That success is something he attributes to a recent change in camps.
“I just switched camps, I’m at Fortis MMA in Dallas, Texas. I feel like I’m just rejuvenated. I’m not taking anything from AKA [American Kickboxing Academy], AKA gave me so much and a lot of experiences, and I got to learn from a lot of high-level guys,” Crutchmer (10-2) told media members following the fight. “But for me, man, I feel like I needed a change. I felt like I was kind of stagnant, not because of the training but just everyday life. I went to Sayif [Saud] at Fortis and started training with a lot of those guys, and started learning different things.”
“I feel like that’s something you guys got to see tonight. This is just the beginning,” said Crutchmer, who has now been with Fortis MMA for a little over five months, and believes he has the best training partners in the world.
The desire to move was more a personal matter than anything to do with AKA itself. It boils down to Crutchmer, now 30, wanting to settle down. He was already absent through much of his daughter’s childhood, and still plans to marry and have more kids.
“I needed a change, and it wasn’t to do with anything but personally. I see myself in a nice home with a wife and kids and all that good stuff. It just didn’t seem like I was going to accomplish that living in San Jose, California,” said Crutchmer. “And not because of anything but, if you go look at the houses, they’re all f*cking a million dollars.”
Watch the full Bellator 297 post-fight press conference appearance by Kyle Crutchmer above.
