Friday, March 3 is going to be an interesting day for UFC/Bellator MMA/WSOF veteran Paul Bradley, as he will be taking on former Bellator MMA Middleweight Champion Alexander Shlemenko in Shlemenko’s home country of Russia at M-1 Challenge 75.
While Bradley was hesitant about fighting in Russia, there was a huge incentive for the MMA veteran in accepting the fight.
“I was a little hesitant at first, to be real honest,” he said on The MMA Circus. “But when they offered me the amount of money they did, it was one of those things where I was like, ‘Well, that pretty much seals the deal.’ It’s one of those risk-reward things. But at the same time, I’m moving up a weight class, I’m getting the chance to fight arguably a top 10 fighter outside the UFC. I feel like there’s more to gain out of this than there is to lose. I’m fighting a guy who technically should beat me. But I’m going in to win this thing.”
Bradley is currently under a contract with the World Series Of Fighting, who had no problem with him fighting in Russia.
“I talked to (WSOF president) Ray (Sefo) before I even signed that contract for M-1. I said I’d never put my WSOF contract in jeopardy. We talked, he OK’d everything. He gave me an idea of what’s going to be next for me in WSOF. I couldn’t be more stoked to be with WSOF. I will be back,” says Bradley.
M-1 Challenge 75 takes place on Friday, March 3 from the Olympic Sports Complex in Moscow, Russia with Paul Bradley and Alexander Shlemenko headlining.
