Ryan Thomas Talks About Returning To Bellator
MMA Spot - Ryan Thomas ~ Redemption Waits
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Ryan Thomas ~ Redemption Waits
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As soon as the referee Dave Smith waved off the bout between Ryan Thomas and Ben Askren, calling a technical submission in favor of Askren, Ryan “The Tank Engine” Thomas has been looking for an opportunity. The Bellator Fighting Championships season two welterweight tournament challenger began campaigning for a rematch almost immediately following the controversial loss. Monday, on the heels of the misfortune of another fighter, Thomas is back in the tournament and could potentially get his rematch.
MMA Spot’s Thomas Caldwell caught up with Ryan Thomas, just hours before he weighs in for the second time in a week for a chance at redemption against a new opponent, Jacob “Tick-Tock” McClintock. Ryan discusses the circumstances around the loss to Askren, finding out how he was back in the tournament, his feelings toward Bellator, and more.
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Thomas Caldwell: I want to ask you about the Ben Aksren fight. I know that is all you have been asked about over the past six days, but, if you don't mind, can you elaborate how the past week has been? How have you dealt with the loss and the circumstances surrounding it?
Ryan Thomas: I'm over it now. I was pretty depressed, even a couple of days after the fight. I kept waking up in the middle of the night. I just couldn't sleep. I didn't get more than four hours at a time for a couple of days. I was pissed off, if I would have just got beat I would have handled it much better.
I didn't get beat, he did not beat me. The fight got taken from me. That was all I thought about during training camp, the weeks leading up to the fight was me concentrating on Ben Askren. Eating. Sleeping. Training. Everything I did was about that fight, and to have that fight taken away from me like that, it's hard to swallow, but I'm ready to go this week. I've put it behind me for now, and all my focus is on, McClintock.
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Caldwell: Has your opinion of Bellator as an organization changed? I know they didn't have anything to do with the stoppage, and at that point, it is kind of out of their hands, but how do you feel like they have handled the situation? How have you been treated?
Thomas: I gained a lot of respect for Bellator. Everything that [Bjorn] Rebney said, he came though with, he has kept his promises. He promised that I would be the first alternate and that I am going to be in season three of Bellator, the next tournament. Then a spot opened up and he pulled some strings and got me in that spot. Connecticut is one of the strictest commissioning bodies in the country, and they didn't want me to fight just seven days later, but Bjorn really pleaded his case and told them about how I got screwed, and that I was the first alternate, and he got it done. He got me back on the show and I'm really happy with what Bjorn did.
Bjorn has really been good to me this whole time. After the Askren fight, I was in the cage yelling at him, "Bjorn, you know I didn't tap. You know I didn't go unconscious." He talked to my corner men and stuff, then he said, "Ryan, I know, I'm going to take care of you." And that's exactly what he did.
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Caldwell: Lets talk about Dave Smith for a second. I assume that he will not be officiating any of your fights any time soon?
Thomas: If I fight again, and that guy is even in the same building I will let it be known that I don't want him reffing my fight. I don't even want to look at that guy right now, after what he did to me.
Read the full interview
HERE
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