Adam McDonough has done a lot on his own to earn a slot in the Season 10 welterweight tournament final.
Tonight at Bellator 122, the undefeated 28-year-old from Minnesota will face Andrey Koreshkov tonight in a fight that will reward the winner a date in the Bellator cage with the promotion’s welterweight champion, Douglas Lima.
McDonough has himself to thank for arriving to this point. He was the one that impressed Bellator enough with an 8-fight stint on the regional scene to warrant a contract. He was the one that rewarded those fans in Phoenix who arrived in time to catch the opening bout of the Bellator 100 card with a flashy, spinning back-kick induced victory over Johnny Buck. He was the one who outpointed Jesse Juarez in the opening round of the Season 10 bracket, and he was the one that knocked out Nathan Coy to advance to the finals.
Needless to say, McDonough only needs to look in the mirror when looking for someone to credit for his success, but he also chooses to give the majority of the praise to his wife.
“My wife has been the number one supporter in my career since day one,” McDonough said. “We started with very little and worked our way up through the ranks. She’s always been right by my side. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for her.”
In addition to his wife, McDonough’s motivation for his fighting career as well as the way he lives his life lies within the future he plans to have. A future with his wife and eventually, with their kids.
“I’m a pretty traditional guy and without a doubt, most of my motivation comes from providing for my wife Kelly and the family we plan on having together someday. And it’s not even just about the money. It’s about setting an example and being a good role model,” he said. “At the end of the day, my physical abilities will go away but I’ll always have my morals, ethic and sense of determination that was instilled in me as a child. My family and the things I stand for are what matter the most to me in the world.”
With his physical abilities still very much at full strength, McDonough has the potential to take a step forward in defining his legacy as a fighter in a positive light. In order to take that step forward, he’ll have to overcome a dangerous opponent in Andrey Koreshkov who needed less than three minutes combined to forge his way to the tournament final.
“Andrey is an incredibly dangerous opponent. I don’t think he’s the most well-rounded opponent that I’ve fought, but I definitely feel like he’s the most dangerous,” said McDonough. “I have a ton of respect for him and I think it’s going to be on hell of a fight for the fans.”
When it comes to analyzing his own game in comparison to Koreshkov’s, McDonough believes that there is one attribute that he’ll use successfully tonight.
“I think patience is going to be a huge key to me winning this fight. He likes to charge in a lot, and I’m a really good counter striker. So I definitely think the patience is going to be a key for me.”