Danny Sabatello is set to make a statement in the biggest opportunity of his MMA career as Sabatello will take on Jornel Lugo in a Wild Card bout with the winner advancing to the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix this Friday at Bellator 278.
Sabatello Slams Lugo and Bantamweight Division Ahead of Bellator 278 Matchup
Former Titan FC Bantamweight Champion Danny Sabatello made a statement in his Bellator debut last May when he demolished former UFC Bantamweight Brett Johns on five days’ notice. Sabatello returns after the longest layoff of his pro career as “The Italian Gangster” was supposed to fight Johnny Campbell last August before a bout of COVID derailed the contest. Now, Sabatello gets the opportunity of his life as he gets to partake in the highly anticipated Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix against an opponent that he has been eyeing since the regional days in Jornel Lugo.
“If you just look at the depth of Bellator in the Bantamweight division, it is just so stacked. There are still a bunch of good guys who are left out of this tournament including Brett Johns, who I have already demolished.”, said Sabatello on the Bellator Bantamweight World Grand Prix.
The American Top Team submission specialist would go on to discuss the changes to the Bellator Bantamweight GP: “I initially thought someone would withdraw from this tournament. The bottom line is a lot of MMA fighters are pu**ies so I know when it’s an 8-man tournament, one or two guys are going to be bitches and duck out—it just happened to be Sergio Pettis and James Gallagher. I kind of figured James Gallagher would just because he’s soft, and number two, I think he is smart enough to realize he can’t hang with the big dogs. He just knows we’ll whoop him. I see everyone in the tournament beating him. He sucks. I stayed ready for this opportunity, I figured my phone was going to be called. It sucked when I didn’t initially get (into the Grand Prix) so I kind of had to bank on one of these guys being bitches, but you know they are bitches.”
When asked about his opponent, Sabatello stated, “Ya, I’m absolutely f**ing pumped for this. When I first got the call from my manager, I didn’t know I was in the tournament, all I knew is I was going to fight Jornel Lugo. So I was already f**ing pumped. I was swearing left and right at my manager about how excited I was it was hilarious. Then a couple of days later, he says it’s in the tournament in the Grand Prix, in Hawaii. Life is just a dream come true—it can’t get any better than that. Fighting this Jornel Lugo guy is just great because he’s 8-0 and undefeated somehow, and I think he f**ing sucks and when I say sucks I mean compared to me. In MMA, he’s obviously above average and a great fighter as not everybody can be undefeated…He’s got some good wins against Brian Moore in Ireland but when he is just compared to me I think he sucks and I love my skillset. You know you always hear the old saying ‘styles make matchups’, and I think this is a good stylistic matchup because if you look at him he f**ing sucks and I’m really good. That’s just the bottom line, I’m gonna go out there and I’m gonna dominate him. I just love how this plays out. I think on the feet I can knock him out. I can piece him up, I can TKO him and on the ground, I can ground and pound him, or I can submit him. I’m not too worried about where the fights gonna go, all I’m worried about is breaking his f**ing face.”
Sabatello to Seize the Biggest Opportunity of His Career?
Sabatello may be brash and to some arrogant, but he has the skills to back it up and to make a serious run in the Bellator Bantamweight Grand Prix.
Stick around this Friday as we will have live results and coverage for Bellator 278. Feel free to visit our sister site, The Fight Buzz, for more combat sports coverage.
Full interview can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dM8ebG6CKeU
Main Image via Bellator MMA.
