Cody Bollinger: 'I want to make the champ question himself'
Marlon Moraes (13-4) has rattled off seven straight wins, captured the World Series of Fighting (WSOF) 135 pound title, and thus gotten himself included in discussion among the best MMA bantamweights in the world. On Saturday, at WSOF 13 in Bethlehem, PA, Cody Bollinger (16-2) will challenge the Brazilian but isn't particularly concerned about taking Moraes' title or position in the rankings.
"He’s tough, man," Bollinger says of Moraes.
"He's a good fighter. He's been brought up well with a good manager and a good team...but as far as ranking him, I don't know where you put him. Other people can decide that. Taking his place in the rankings isn't extra motivation. Anytime I've got someone across the cage trying to beat me up, I already have plenty of motivation to win (laughs)."
That said, Bollinger is aware that he may be considered an underdog by many observers, against Moraes in their title fight (airing on NBC Sports Networkat 9 pm EST). The wrestling-based fighter isn't daunted by the task of upsetting an opponent, however. "I grew up in wrestling," he explains.
"You go to tournaments and you see upsets all the time."
To prepare for Saturday's title fight, Bollinger says he's combined tailoring his training to his opponent and simply making himself the best version of himself that he could. "I try to balance both of those," he says.
"I don’t like to just focus on my opponent or my self so I take a little from each side. My strategy is the same as it is every time - hit him as hard as I can, push the pace, and stay active. Whatever he gives me, I'll take and I want to be comfortable wherever the fight goes. He's a good fighter but I haven't seen him do anything or seen anything he has to offer that is different from stuff I've seen and experienced."
On the other hand, Bollinger is intent on giving Moraes something he hasn't experienced in a long time - self doubt. "Honestly, man, once you start getting wins and beat some good names, you get a confidence about yourself," he says.
"He's got that going for him. I haven't seen anyone make him question himself during the fight in a long time. There's some things I feel I can do, there. Win or lose, I want to make him question himself, and see how he reacts when things are not going his way or the fight isn't stuck in his rythym. Everyone has fought at his rythym for the last few fights. I'm going to try and change that."Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter
