Daniel Straus became the fourth Bellator featherweight champion in November when he defeated Pat Curran by unanimous decision at Bellator 106.
Following the event, Bellator MMA Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney hinted that the organization could book an immediate rematch between Straus and Curran.
At that time, people question why Rebney though Curran deserve an immediate rematch based on how Straus controlled the final three rounds of their five round fight.
Rebney ended up deciding to give Curran the rematch and season nine featherweight tournament winner Patricio “Pitbull” Freire voiced his displeasure with various media outlets and social media. For Straus, he really doesn’t care that Curran got the rematch.
“As far as Pat getting an immediate rematch, I don’t really care,” Straus said. “I think it’s a valid question for someone to pose, but I don’t really care.”
Straus (22-4) is tied for the second most wins in Bellator featherweight history and has won eighteen of his last nineteen fights. Thirteen of his last fifteen fights have made it to the third round and six of his eight wins in Bellator have come by decision. On Friday night, he wants to do something against Curran that he has never done in his Bellator career and has only done three times in his career, win by knockout.
“I’m trying to finish Pat this time,” he said. “I really want to knock him out and I’ve been working hard on that. I’ve switched things up a little bit and I’m sure Pat has done the same thing. I’m just trying to knock him out this time. I’m going to get my money and go home because, as I said, this is my job. I guess if I finish him convincingly, other people might finally think I’m the better fighter. To me, I’ve always felt that I’m the better fighter so it doesn’t matter much to me.”
Since his second meeting with Curran, Straus has heard the comments that “Pat had an off-night,” but Straus did not see anything Curran did in their second fight that he has done different in his other fights.
“Getting the belt with that win over Pat Curran was obviously a great accomplishment. Pat fought how Pat always fights. I don’t know man. He didn’t do anything different than he usually does. To me, it’s like, “let’s get another excuse.” He always fights that way. I thought I fought a good fight but apparently everyone else doesn’t. I can’t control what people say or think. I fought smart and I’m pretty sure I won the belt that night.”
A criticism of Straus is the amount of his fights that have gone the distance, which he is well aware of this criticism. His mind set is to go out there to get the victory and hopes that if he has an “off-night,” people will say the same thing they have been saying about Curran.
“I fight my ass off and try to finish fights. Maybe not as much as people want me to, but it’s not like I don’t try. I fight to win and that’s what I’ve been doing. If Pat had an “off-night” like people are saying? Cool. I hope people say the same thing if I lose. But it’s whatever.”