LIVE! Bellator 251 Virtual Media Day Q&A, Streaming Updates

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

Bellator 251: “Manhoef vs. Anderson” takes place this week (Thurs., Nov. 5, 2020) at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The debuting Corey Anderson (13-5) will take a Light Heavyweight bout against fearless combat sports veteran Melvin Manhoef (32-14-1, 2 NC).

The fighters are scheduled to participate in what the promotion is calling a “Virtual Media Day” this afternoon (Tues., Nov. 3, 2020), starting at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Expected participants include:

Melvin Manhoef (1:30 p.m.) – Bellator Middleweight/Light Heavyweight
Tyrell Fortune (1:45 p.m.) – Bellator Heavyweight
Derek Anderson (2:00 p.m.) – Bellator Welterweight
Corey Anderson (2:15 p.m.) – Bellator Light Heavyweight
Said Sowma (2:30 p.m.) – Bellator Heavyweight
Austin Vanderford (2:45 p.m.) – Bellator Middleweight
Alex Polizzi (3:00 p.m.) – Bellator Light Heavyweight
Janay Harding (3:15 p.m.) – Bellator Featherweight
Jaylon Bates (3:30 p.m.) – Bellator Bantamweight
Sumiko Inaba (3:45 p.m.) – Bellator Flyweight

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

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Melvin Manhoef: “Everybody thinks for me it’s like a test, you know? I know I can do it. People don’t think so, but I think I can and my team (does to). I’m going to do what I do best, knock people out. Even if it’s a decision or something else that’s what I’m here for.”

Manhoef: “I signed (for) two more fights after the Bahati fight. I said if you want to do the show in Holland, I want to do my farewell fight in Holland. Give me one fight before so I’m going to stay in shape, that’s why I signed for two more, but then the pandemic came. I’m going to do this fight, and win or lose, I’m going to have my last fight.”

Manhoef: “Very long time (with Scott Coker) since Strikeforce. Scott is really loyal and a really strict promoter. What he says he does (and) he takes care of me. He asked me ‘Yo, can you still do it?” And I said ‘Yes man.’ And now on the end of my career he gave me an amazing fight. I want to deliver (for) the fans and then I’m happy man.”

Manhoef: “After the Bahati fight I was finished, but they said they’d come to Amsterdam, so I want to do that for all my fans in Holland. It’s a shame that it couldn’t (happen) but maybe — I still have one more to go. But let me see how this fight is going to go.”

Manhoef: “Ryan Bader? For the title? Okay. If he brings Ryan Bader (to Holland) I would decline, because Nemkov is the champion I think.”

Manhoef: “I’m not the exact perfect guy to ask because I swap a lot of weight divisions. As you get older it’s better to cut less weight, but if you saw Mousasi vs. Lima it was very great, Lima did great, but Mousasi was like top level again you know? I think some people can do it and some people can’t, but it depends on the person.”

Manhoef: “I don’t think in problems, I think in solutions. For every problem there is a solution.”

Manhoef: “The kickboxing in Holland is not as big as it used to be, but I’m doing this for a long time now. Nowadays I really find myself a MMA fighter, a kickboxer still, but that chapter I closed it like two years ago and there the kickboxing legend stopped.”

Manhoef: “This is my life. I really live for this shit.”

Manhoef: “I really enjoyed it man and just like I said, Mousasi is one of the best fighters in Holland, and the next generation is going to be even better. There’s a bright future still you know? There are gonna come more Dutch guys.”

Manhoef: “I don’t need to prove people wrong. It’s only for myself and my team. You think I’m going to train my ass off, come to America just to lose? Come on guys. It’s the hurt game and I’m not the one who’s willing to hurt. It’s going to be a nice fight. That’s what I know.”

Manhoef: “If (Anderson) is ranked No. 4 in the world he’s like one of the best of the best, and if I can fight him I’m also like one of the best of the best. Yeah, he’s top level. He wants to prove he’s legit and he is. I think he’s a top contender for me, one of the best guys I’ve had in a long time now.”

Manhoef: “If I win, I’m going to get drunk. That’s what I haven’t been able to do for a long time (because of the pandemic) so I’ll take something to my room and party by myself.”

Tyrell Fortune: “I’m extremely excited just to fight. My last fight went barely over two minutes and I didn’t get to fight. I had two performances in a row where I didn’t get to fight. Right after that fight I only had two days off and I went right back into training camp (and) evaluating what I needed to do next.”

Fortune: “It’ll be good for me just to get back in the win column and get the train running again. I’ll just be happy if I can get in there and the fight can be completed.”

Fortune: “I think I’m one of the best in the (Heavyweight) division, regardless of where Tim Johnson or anybody else is at. I think it could be a great rematch in the future if all the cards fall into place.”

Fortune: “I think Bader wins (in a fight with Johnson). When you look at his last fights, Bader is way better than he is, and he’s going to have a handful with him in every category.”

Fortune: “For me COVID didn’t do much. I have keys to the gym so it never prevented me from getting my work in. The protocols (at Mohegan Sun) don’t bother me at all. Whatever it takes to get in there and get it done.”

Fortune: “The loss opened my eyes, made me pick my flaws and see where I needed to improve my game. My confidence is still there, I still believe in myself, it was just like ‘Okay what am I missing?’ So I just sat down and evaluated myself and made sure I made better decisions in the future.”

Fortune: “I have a nutritionist now who controls my diet. I realized I needed to invest in myself to get to that next level.”

Fortune: “This guy (Said Sowma) making his debut in Bellator, he might be a little edgy, but that’s all up to him.”

Derek Anderson: “

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