Has it felt like a long wait watching the other three Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix quarter finals play out... ?

“Yeah it has been a long wait. In February I found out I had to wait until May. Now that it’s here and I’m feeling great. Nothing left to do than go out there and get this first round over with.”

Making 205 pounds must always be a struggle, has it been enjoyable being a heavyweight?

“Yeah, I just don’t have that stress. Right now if I was fighting at light heavyweight then I would be stressing a little bit about my weight. Trying to get down past 220, but now I don’t have to worry about that at all. It’s one less stress. Especially in fight week, I’m always watching my weight. Then Wednesday comes around and it’s time to cut weight and I’m sucking 15, 17 pounds out of my body. It’s got to do something to your performance. I’m looking forward to not doing that and seeing how I feel.”

How do check your explosivness and speed with more weight?

“I’m always this weight, that’s why I’m looking forward to it. I’m not actually used to fighting at 205, I don’t compete at that weight, I just cut to that weight. I’m used to 230 and training at that.”