Photo credit to Lucas Noonan/ Bellator MMA
Jaylon Bates talks Bellator 274, his food channel, and a May fight
Jaylon Bates tests skills with Chris Disonell on February 19th at Bellator 274. This bantamweight bout emanates from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Bates is 4-0 as a professional mixed martial artist and the entirety of his pro MMA career has been under the Bellator banner.
New Breed has a seventy-five percent finishing rate so far and is coming into this bout with back-to-back armbar finishes. This amid a run of three straight submission victories.
I spoke with Bates at the pre-fight virtual media day. Excerpts from our interaction are below.
Jaylon Bates
Bates’ constant refinement mindset and how much that really underpins his progression as a fighter
“Yeah, I always tell myself I suck. Everyone doesn’t think I suck but I think I suck. I’m always behind in my mind. So that gives me an edge. I never think I’m good enough. And that’s okay with me though. Because I understand how great I will be and how great I’m becoming. But I’m not there yet.”
The close connectivity he has with AJ McKee and if there’s any desire for Jaylon Bates to try to get a spot on that April card where McKee is rematching Pitbull
“It wasn’t in my mind. I would be able to sell some tickets in California. That would be cool. But also, just like the camps. I mean, I had a long camp. I’ve basically been in camp since the middle of December. Now we’re in February. So I kind of want to take some time, eat some food that I make. I’m about to make a Food Channel, a food Instagram page from all of the foods I make. So I’m about to go and cook. Then enjoy a little time off. But come back in May though, I’ll come back in May.”
