Undefeated middleweight Norbert Novenyi Jr. stayed perfect at Bellator 297 this past Friday night in Chicago.
Novenyi Jr. (7-0) took all of 46 seconds to stop Kamil Oniszczuk, dropping the Polish fighter with a right hand then sealing the deal with hammerfists. It might have been a shocking scene to fans at home (and at the very least, an explosive one), but Novenyi believed all along that it would be a short night in the Windy City.
“I thought I’d finish him in the first. To be fair, he’s a tough guy so I thought worst case, early second. But I knew I’d finish it quite early,” Novenyi Jr. told media members following the event, backstage at the Wintrust Arena. “I punch really hard and I’ve got a pretty decent ground game. So where ever the fight went, I would have finished it.”
There was a delay to the Bellator 297 broadcast that resulted in several fights being shifted from prelims to the dreaded “post-lim” spot, after the main event. For Novenyi, that bump in the road didn’t cause any issues.
“It didn’t really. I’m always ready. Whenever. Obviously it’s annoying, but it was great, it worked out perfectly.”
What has been perfect so far is Norbert Novenyi Jr.’s 2023. Since time away due to an ACL injury, he’s returned to capture two wins already this year.
“I feel like now people are understanding the level I’m on. Someone said I’m the best hidden secret talent in MMA, and another guy said I’m the biggest prospect in MMA. And I feel like now, people are seeing that,” said Novenyi, asked about the kind of pressure he’s been under, between increased media attention, and his Olympian father. “It took me a long time. I’ve been fighting since I was like a year and a half, I started with Karate, and I’ve been fighting since I was a kid. And now it’s paying off. I had a two and a half year injury and all that, and now I’m finally here, proving these people right who have supported me. It’s an absolute pleasure.”
Watch the full Bellator 297 post-fight press conference appearance by Norbert Novenyi Jr. above.
