From Cage Warriors bloodbath to Bellator debut, Ross Houston ready to prove he’s ‘legit’ against MVP

MMA News
From Cage Warriors bloodbath to Bellator debut, Ross Houston ready to prove he’s ‘legit’ against MVP

If you think Ross Houston is just a lay-up opponent for Michael Page at Bellator 248, think again.

Scotland’s Houston (8-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has built a strong reputation on the European scene after compiling an undefeated record and capturing the Cage Warriors welterweight title.

Regular watchers of the U.K. promotion’s events will remember Houston’s now-infamous title fight bloodbath with Nicolas Dalby last summer at “Cage Warriors 106: Night of Champions” – a fight that was halted by referee Marc Goddard and ruled a no contest after the sheer amount of blood in the cage made it impossible for the action to continue safely.

Since that fight, there was a suggestion that Houston and Dalby might run things back in the UFC, but while Dalby signed on for a second stint with the Las Vegas-based promotion, Houston later joined the growing European contingent on the Bellator roster. Now, after an extended wait due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he’s all set to make his debut against Page (17-1 MMA, 13-1 BMMA) at Bellator 248, which takes place Oct. 10 at the Accor Arena in Paris, France.

Chatting to MMA Junkie following the announcement of his booking, Houston said he was amused to see some of the reaction online as he was labeled a “can” by some fans who likely haven’t seen him fight. But Houston is confident in his abilities and said he’s looking forward to proving the casual fans wrong.

“It’s kinda funny, you know? When I was in Cage Warriors people were saying, ‘Houston’s a big name,’ because it was on the European scene. But now it’s gone a bit more international people are saying, ‘It’s another can for MVP!’ I’m like, ‘Whaaat?!’” he laughed. “Here’s me with a world title around my waist and an undefeated record and they’re calling me a can. So I’m looking forward to it, because whether people like ‘MVP’ or hate him, they tune in to watch him fight, and this is the chance for me to beat him and people will see I’m legit.

“I don’t know if he’s fought any undefeated people, but (the fans) need to look into it more,” he continued. “I’m not a 2-0 bum. I’ve torn through the Cage Warriors welterweight division without taking a loss, smashing everyone in my way. They’re gonna see, man. I’m not one of those guys who gets hit and then backs down. I’m going to be in his face from the opening bell, putting the pressure on him. I’m not shying away from anything. I’m not going to go forward like an idiot, but we’ve got a gameplan for him. We’re going to put the pressure on him and put him into a world of hurt, man. So, tune in!”

Houston admitted he was slightly surprised that Page, as such an established star, accepted the fight against a dangerous debutant. But he’s pleased the Englishman put pen to paper to set up a fight that will allow the debuting Scot the opportunity to make a big impression right off the bat against one of the promotion’s biggest stars.

“You know what? I was quite surprised, to be honest,” he said. “I didn’t think he would take it because I wasn’t sure how much he’d see is in it for him. I think Bellator put it in front of him and said, ‘We want you to fight this boy,’ so yeah, man, I’m delighted. I asked for this fight – people need to remember it was me asking for this fight. I’m going to take this opportunity with both hands, get him finished and move one step closer to the belt.”

Houston’s COVID-enforced hiatus after signing for Bellator has given him time to fine-tune his skills and he said that as a result he’ll step into the Bellator cage in Paris looking sharper than ever.

“I’ve been training hard. It’s been a long time since I last fought, so I’ve had a lot of time to improve, so I’m a lot more of a technical fighter now,” he stated. “I have the heart – I’m a fighter at heart, so I don’t need to work on that – I’m ready to go at any time. It’s just given me a lot of time to work on my skills and I’m looking forward to showing that on Oct. 10 against MVP. I’ve said it from the start, I’m not here to make up the numbers. I’m here for the Bellator title. I’m here for my second world title and I will get that, mark my words.”

From Cage Warriors bloodbath to Bellator debut, Ross Houston ready to prove he’s ‘legit’ against MVP