Lance Gibson Jr. planning on ‘devastatingly finishing fight’ in Bellator MMA debut

Following a successful outing in his pro MMA debut in December of 2017, it took over a year for lightweight Lance Gibson Jr. to step back into the cage.

When Gibson did finally get a chance to fight again this past March at Mamba Fight Night 6 versus Myles Merola, he delivered another strong performance, picking up his second first round finish to kick off his pro career.

“In March I was able to showcase what I truly am and showcase my skills – specifically my striking – that night,” Gibson told MMAWeekly.com.

“I was 1-0 at the time, and basically what was happening was every time we tried to set up a fight it was not panning out with anyone near my record, so I ended up fighting (Merola) who had like 18 pro fights at the time, was a BJJ black belt, and I dominated with my striking and dominated everywhere it went. It was an awesome experience, but I have a lot more to show.”

Compared to the fighter he was when he made his pro debut nearly two years ago, Gibson sees himself as greatly improved due to the mental maturity he feels he has possessed since he was a child.

“My maturity has been there since I was nine,” said Gibson. “I remember sparring when I was nine and using my actual mind versus just going in and swinging. A lot of people do that and end up getting in trouble for it, but since I was nine years old I’ve always used my brain.

“Now in 2019 I’m a lot more skilled in every aspect. I’m a lot faster. I’m a lot stronger. I’m a lot more explosive. And my skills are 10 times better now.”

On October 26 in Uncasville, Connecticut, Gibson (2-0) will look to keep his undefeated streak going when he faces Dominic Jones (2-2) in a preliminary 155-pound bout at Bellator 232.

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“He’s a good wrestler, he’s well-rounded, and is a good martial artist overall, and on that night I’ve got to use all my skills to win in devastating fashion,” Gibson said of facing Jones. “I am a mixed martial artist. A lot of people go out and say that they’re going to go for the knockout; I’m going to go wherever I put the fight that night.

“I’m going to go with the flow and if the fight ends up on the ground I’m going to finish him with elbows and strikes, if I end up on my back I’ll submit him. If it ends up in the clinch I’m going to finish the fight in the clinch. If it ends up in my range I’m going to finish it at my range. Wherever the fight goes I’m planning on devastatingly finishing the fight.”

While Gibson is looking to tackle each obstacle that comes his way individually, he does have an overall goal for himself as he moves his career forward.

“I go one fight at a time, but I always have a goal in mind,” said Gibson. “My goal is to be one of the best mixed martial artists that Bellator has ever seen and will ever see.

“I’m going to go in there and show the whole world what I’m capable of, and continuously do that with a 100-percent capacity.”