Andrey Koreshkov will look to join current welterweight champion Douglas Lima as the only fighters to win two Bellator welterweight tournaments when he meets Adam McDonough in the final of the season ten tournament tomorrow night at Bellator 122.
Since entering Bellator in 2012, Koreshkov has been known for his dynamic striking and ability to end the fight at any moment.
During this tournament, he has only need a total cage time of 2 minutes and 22 seconds to defeat Nah-Shon Burrell and Justin Baesman by knockout. His win over Burrell at Bellator 112 stands as the sixth fastest victory in Bellator welterweight division history.
Prior to this tournament, he had not scored a TKO/KO win in the first round since he defeated Marius Zaromskis at Bellator 78 in 2012. Koreshkov credits his recent success of finishing fights quickly to his coach, current Bellator middleweight champion Alexander Shlemenko.
“I have to give my coach Alexander Shlemenko the credit for how good I have looked over my last two fights,” Koreshkov said. “He gave me a very good strategy for both of these fights. I also heard him clearly in my corner during both fights, which was a really big help. I did exactly what he told me to do and that’s why I was so successful.”
One of the tools that Shlemenko has been working with Koreshkov on is strikes to the body. Shlemenko has delivered memorable body strikes that have ened fights against Maiquel Falcao and Doug Marshall. Koreshkov has been drilling body shots with Shlemenko a lot in his recent training camps and he believes this technique is underestimated in the sport right now.
“I think that body shots are extremely underestimated in MMA right now. Not enough fighters use body shots effectively, and they don’t expect to get hit in the body either. The few people that use body shots and use them well, it’s a really big advantage for them. When you mix your strikes up to the body in the head, it makes it a lot more difficult for your opponent to adjust to what you’re doing and get his timing down.”
If Koreshkov is able to get the victory tomorrow against McDonough, it will secure him another title shot in the Bellator welterweight division and he would be targeted to face Lima in the fall. He is very complementary of the current Bellator champion and feels a fight between the two of them would be a great fight for the fans of the sport to watch.
“I think Douglas Lima is a great fighter. He is a very powerful and technical striker. He has great stamina and he fights really smart. He’s proven that he is a great fighter by winning a lot of very tough fights. He’s a world champion for a reason. I have a longer reach then Douglas Lima and I’m a striker myself, so I would prefer to fight him standing up. I know I would be very well prepared for a fight with Lima. I also think that stylistically it would be a great fight for the fans watching at home.”