Bubba Jenkins entered Bellator as a highly touted prospect and his time in the promotion has seen him score five victories, but most people will remember the defeats against LaRue Burley and Georgi Karakhanyan.
He will look to get back on the winning side of the fight on Friday night when he meets Joe Wilk on the preliminary card of Bellator 139.
His opponent on Friday has gone 1-4 in his last five fights and a cliché that could be used to describe Wilk is “his back is against the wall.” In addition, it could be said that Wilk has reached the crossroads of his career and having his back against the wall makes him the most dangerous.
“It’s always a scary feeling when you are fighting a guy that has nothing to lose,” Jenkins told The MMA Report. “There back is against the wall and they come out swinging. He is an older gentlemen, so it’s going to be tough to just impose your will against him. I can understand having that fear and that kind of thought behind it, but I have prepared for everything that has come my way. I can not take any more losses the way I have taken them. I got to be the fighter that everyone is expecting me to be.I am going to come out gun blazing and try to get him out of there as quickly as possible. I know he has nothing to lose and those are the most dangerous fighters to face.”
When Jenkins makes the statement of “I got to be the fighter that everyone is expecting me to be,” it makes you wonder what he means by that. What does he think he is supposed to be? Simply put, he needs to be dominate because wrestlers have shown to be some of the most dominant fighters in this sport.
“Most of the good wrestlers are dominating this sport. Becoming the champions and being the fighters that everyone likes,” Jenkins explained. “Especially after they get their hands together. Me being the athlete that I am and the wrestler I was, people are putting those two together and seeing a recipe for greatness or a recipe for a successful MMA fighter. I want to give them those results that they are expecting. Not only that, being a crowd pleaser but also be the guy I expect to be. I expect to be dominate. I expect to hit hard with heavy hands, be athlete, and do things people are not use to due to my athleticism. I expect to be great.”
Jenkins views his fight on Friday against Wilk as the fight that will get him back on track in the Bellator featherweight division. He wants to get right back in the mix and knows he needs to show everyone that he can be the dominant fighter that most people expect him to be.
“I am really just focusing on getting back on the horse and getting back in the winners circle. It seems like every fifth fight something happens,” he said. “I went 4-0 and I lost in my fifth fight. I go another four straight and I lost on my fifth fight. I am just focusing on winning another four straight. Getting to that fifth fight, winning that fight, and getting over the hump of doing good and taking a step back. Taking four steps forward and taking a step back. Right now, it’s about taking that first step after a lost. I just want to come back and make a statement by winning dominantly.”