Philipe Lins is considered one of the best prospects in the Bellator light heavyweight division and he will headline Friday night’s Bellator 121 as he meets Austen Heidlage in an opening round bout in the 2014 Summer Series light heavyweight tournament.
Lins (8-0) made an immediate impact in Bellator earlier this year as he scored the fastest submission in Bellator light heavyweight division history as he defeated Travis Clark in 40 seconds at Bellator 116.
The victory over Clark secured him a spot in this light heavyweight tournament, but there was a point that Lins did not know if he would be able to show his fighting ability in Bellator.
“The roughest period of my life came just over a year ago around the time my baby girl Louise was born,” Lins said. “I was suffering from an injury at the time and I wasn’t sure if I was going to be fighting for Bellator. My future was uncertain, and that meant my families future was uncertain. That didn’t sit well with me.”
“That feeling gave me the desire to overcome the injury fast and return to the cage to provide for my family. That was a moment in my life where I had to decide whether I was going to sink or swim, and I chose to swim. It definitely made me stronger as a man.”
It’s very cliche for a fighter to say that his next fight is the “biggest fight of his career.” In this case, this is the biggest fight in the career of Lins. A victory will put him two more wins away from a title shot against the Bellator light heavyweight champion. His goal is to become a champion in Bellator and he has put everything into this tournament, which included him quitting his job.
“This is the biggest opportunity of my life,” Lins explained. “I need this and my family needs this. I quit my job to focus on this tournament so everything is on the line. I’m coming into this tournament to change everything for me and my family. I will become a world champion!”
His opponent on Friday night in the main event of Bellator 121 from the WinStar World Casino in Thackerville, Oklahoma will be Heidlage, who is known for finishing fights by submission in the first round.
“Austen Heidlage is just another guy who has put in his time training and wants a shot at the world title just like me,” Lins said. “But it’s my job to make sure that doesn’t happen. I feel like my heart and will to win will be the deciding factors in this fight with Austen Heidlage. I don’t believe anybody wants to win this tournament as badly as I do.”
Lins is confident in his abilities and feels like he can win this fight by knockout. While he wants to win by knockout, he knows the most important thing for him is to walk out of the cage with a victory and advance to the semifinals of this tournament. Along with wanting to get a victory by knockout and advance in the tournament, Lins wants to send a message to the mixed martial arts world.
“I’m coming out there to knock Austen out and to send a message to the world that ‘Monstro’ is here, and he’s coming for the belt!”