Watch Bellator 242 Virtual Media Day

Bellator MMA

Fighters are scheduled to start chatting today (Weds., July 22) at 1:30 p.m. ET from inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

Bellator 242: “Bandejas vs. Pettis” takes place this weekend (Fri., July 24, 2020) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The first Bellator MMA show in three months will be headlined by Bantamweight contenders Ricky Bandejas (13-3) and Sergio Pettis (19-5), each looking to notch their third straight win in a division currently lacking a world champion.

Both fighters are scheduled to participate in what the promotion is calling a “Virtual Media Day” this afternoon (Weds., July 22, 2020) starting at 1:30 p.m. ET. Reporters (including yours truly) will be on board via Zoom to ask questions about the card this Friday night. Participants will include (but not necessarily be limited to) Solo Hatley Jr., Jay-Jay Wilson, Jason Jackson, Aaron Pico, Tywan Claxton, Jordan Mein, and our two aforementioned 135-pound headlining fighters.

Selected news and memorable quotes from the participants will be available below.

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Hatley Jr.: “A lot of people sleep on Bellator, but I think Bellator has just as good if not better fighters than UFC. I’d be happy if I finished my career out in Bellator. I’m very blessed that Bellator gave me the opportunity against Bolanos, and after that they signed me and now I’ve got the opportunity to fight Pico.”

Hatley Jr.: “MMA has politics. I know they want Aaron Pico to win, but after I win they’ll have no choice but to promote me.”

Hatley Jr.: “Almost every time game plans go out the window as soon as the fight starts, when you’re getting kicked and punched. Pico’s a good striker, he’s a great wrestler, with him I’m just have to going to see how the fight goes and how he reacts.”

Hatley Jr.: “Everybody knows him. Nobody really knows me. Of course he’s going to be that big of a favorite. He’s a real great fighter but they were hyping him up before he even had a fight. He’s the same age as me but we came up differently. Before he even had a fight they were promoting him as a superstar. He’s won some, he’s lost some, but they’re still promoting him as the next big thing. Of course he’s going to be that much of a favorite.”

Wilson: “I feel like it gives me more of an advantage. I have a little bit more energy. It is what it is being the young guy in this game.”

Wilson: “My striking is amazing. I’ve been doing kickboxing since I started martial arts. You guys haven’t been able to see that yet so I’m looking to demonstrate it for you in this fight.”

Wilson: “We had a small group. We had some wrestlers, a few jiu-jitsu people and strikers, and we kept it a closed group between each aspect of the game. We just worked through it. The quarantine didn’t really affect me. The gyms started to open up again but Governor Newsom closed them again a couple of weeks ago, but that didn’t affect me because I was ready for the fight.”

Wilson: “Claxton’s jiu-jitsu… I can’t rate his jiu-jitsu. I can rate his wrestling, but sorry, his jiu-jitsu’s not good. Cardio is the one (thing) that wins this fight. I can go all day. He’s super explosive but I want to see how he does after I take that power away from him.”

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