Alexander Shlemenko has more than five times as much experience as his next opponent, so it would be nearly understandable if he was looking at him as just another fight.

But Shlemenko (49-7 MMA, 10-1 BMMA) said the key against Brennan Ward (9-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) this Friday in the main event of Bellator 114 is to make sure he’s not overlooking him – even if he doesn’t seem to know a ton about him.

“He’s a wrestler, and he’s not a bad boxer,” Shlemenko told MMAjunkie. “The thing for me is to not underestimate him. He just ran through the tournament and finished all of his opponents in the tournament. I’m more experienced than him, and that would be my advantage. I also think he’s a very lucky fighter. Luck is something you cannot be taught.”

Shlemenko defends his Bellator middleweight title against Ward on Friday at Maverik Center in West Valley City, Utah. The main card of Bellator 114 airs on Spike TV following prelims on Spike.com.

Shlemenko will be defending the 185-pound strap for the third time. He won it against Maiquel Falcao in February 2013, then defended it twice this past season with wins over Brett Cooper and Doug Marshall.

“Every tournament winner has the right to fight the champion,” he said of Ward, who has four straight stoppage wins. “I don’t really care who I fight. I just want to fight as often as possible.”

Hear what else Shlemenko had to say about his Bellator career and Friday’s main event in the above video.

And for the latest on Bellator 114, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.