MMAOddsBreaker’s Frank Trigg speaks with Bellator 151 featherweight Bubba Jenkins as he prepares for his upcoming main card bout this Friday night (March 4, 2016) against Goiti Yamauchi at the Winstar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma.
The former elite amateur wrestler has put in a lot of work to evolve his fight game, and he’s not simply reliant on taking his opponents down or utilizing his athleticism anymore:
“I’m not really worried about what [Goiti Yamauchi] brings. I’m worried about who I am becoming as a fighter. If this was last year’s time, and I fought Goiti Yamauchi like I fought Georgi Karakhanyan , I’d get submitted in the first round the same way. But I’m a different fighter. I’ve grown. I’ve studying the sport a little bit more instead of getting away with my athleticism or getting away with smaller things I used to get away with using simple wrestling. Now I can actually punch people. Now I can knock yo’ ass out or take you down and then knock yo’ ass out. It’s a little bit different for me with the fighter that I am.”