Dalton Rosta celebrates a win inside of the Bellator cage.
Bellator 256 Media Day (Cass Bell + Dalton Rosta)
Bellator 256 Media Day took place on Wednesday, April 7th ahead of the Friday card. Bellator 256 emanates from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
The top of the marquee attraction is a rematch between Ryan Bader and Lyoto Machida. This bout also serves as a quarterfinal match in Bellator’s light heavyweight world grand prix.
Below are excerpts from my interactions with Cass Bell and Dalton Rosta in the virtual scrum.
Bellator 256 Media
It seemed like you’d seen the initial Bellator rankings list per my post there in the Bellator MMA News Facebook group there.
I’m kind of wondering what your thoughts were on your placement in the hierarchy and just facing a guy who’s ranked at number 10 here in the fight coming up?
Cass Bell
“So I’m actually like really stoked. Because we all know I did lose my last fight in Bellator. So to be ranked in the top 10, I was stoked. I was like ‘what?! this is awesome’. It’s cool because it gives me a goal. Gives me goals like now I have a goal, what I want. What I need to do to get down there. Chip away at these fighters that are ranked higher than me. Then take them out.”
“I am fighting a guy who is ranked number 10 (Jornel Lugo). It’s cool to see that he’s also in the ranked division. That I get to fight another ranked opponent. So I’m actually pretty stoked about it. I can’t wait till Friday night, April 9th.”
Dalton Rosta
“I’m talking to Dillon Danis (grins).”
Not quite (laughs). How’s it going, Dalton?
“Good, how are you?”
I’m doing well, thanks. I mean you were just talking about your opponent, Tony Johnson there. Pronounced respect for the unbeaten Bellator fighter as well as the former vet of StrikeForce and Contender Series. Just on a level of his martial arts skillset, what does he really bring to the table and really excel at that you’ve noticed in your studying on him?
“He’s a good striker. He has some power. Wings a lot of shots though and he makes a lot of technical mistakes. He leaves his hands down after he throws a lot of things. And I see a lot of mistakes that I can capitalize on, on the feet. And as I said before to multiple people, I think it’s gonna end in a first-round knockout.”
