MMAOddsBreaker’s Frank Trigg speaks with Bellator 148 heavyweight Tony Johnson Jr. as he prepares for his main card bout this Friday night (January 29, 2016) against Raphael Butler at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California.
The former boxer expects to have a huge edge against his opponent should the fight stay standing, but he realizes that Johnson Jr’s biggest strength is his wrestling and he plans to be prepared for it:
“I know [Raphael Butler]’s a boxer. Here’s the thing. I’ve been wrestling since I was four years old, so there’s nothing he can do. I’m gonna be able to do the things I want to do: take him down if I get in trouble on my feet. I want to use my cardio as a weapon which I’ve never been able to do before. He’s a great opponent. He’s 9-1, he’s in the hunt for the title, but I just feel like I’m more hungry than he is. I feel like I have more to prove than he does. I feel like I have my fans that support me, but I want more. I want Bellator behind me, I want everyone behind me. I want that push to get to that belt. This is a statement fight for me. I’m sorry Raphael, but you’re in my way.”