UFC Lightweight Champion Conor McGregor is in the midst of a training camp for the super fight against Floyd Mayweather this August.
Zach Freeman defeated Aaron Pico at Bellator 180 and the fighter says his win shows why fans cannot count out McGregor against Mayweather.
“I think there’s a lot to learn from this (Floyd Mayweather) and (Conor McGregor) fight,” Freeman told MMA Junkie Radio. “People want to count McGregor out. It’s a fight. It takes one punch to change everything. Just like my uppercut. It changed everything. Whether that was the 50th punch I threw in the fight or it was the second one: It’s a fight between two men. No one’s a super human. We all go in that cage, and we all bleed. So, at the end of the day, anybody can win. To count somebody out is absolutely ridiculous.”
Freeman’s victory over Pico was the fighters debut under the Bellator MMA banner, it was Pico’s professional MMA debut as well.
Despite the win, the victorious Freeman believes he has more to do in order to earn the respect of Bellator MMA officials.
“My first question was why was he in there,” Freeman said. “That was my moment. He lost. Why was he in there for the press conference? That, to me, just shows they have a lot invested in him. I still have a lot of work to do before I earn the respect of Bellator and some other fighters. But anyone who’s trained with me, they know I have just as much potential. I’m just as much of a prospect. I can easily be holding the belt in an year or two.”
Conor McGregor versus Floyd Mayweather takes place on Saturday, August 26 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, with a post-show podcast to follow.
