Tyrell Fortune pushes title ambitions to the wayside ahead of Bellator 277

Tyrell Fortune is learning that in order to flourish in his MMA career, it’s all about balance.

The Bellator heavyweight contender has seemingly been poised for greatness in the sport from the start, when he entered off a decorated collegiate wrestling career and was wrecking shop in the development phase of his career.

As he’s risen up the ranks, though, Fortune (11-2 MMA, 11-2 BMMA) has encountered some stumbles. He suffered a massive upset loss to Tim Johnson in February 2020, then after a four-fight unbeaten streak, lost a split decision to Linton Vassell in his most recent outing at Bellator 271 in November.

Fortune admits his head was high in the sky going into those particular bouts. He felt he was ready for championship fights, but then he got brought back down to earth.

“A few fights ago I was so caught up, before I lost to Tim, I was so caught up in being the champ,” Fortune told MMA Junkie Radio. “That’s all I could think. … If I put my mind on a goal that’s so far in front of me I lose sight of what’s near and what’s right here in front of me. Now I just focus on the opponent and the fight in front of me and that will take care of everything else.”

With 14 professional bouts on his resume, Fortune, 31, admits he’s still learning. He said he was battling a back injury going into the previous fight with Vassell, but has taken the time to heal and had no intention of competing with a serious injury again.

Fortune will attempt to show his growth on April 15, when he meets Rakim Cleveland at Bellator 277. The event takes place at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., with a main card that airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Although Cleveland (22-14-1 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) is a seasoned opponent with nearly three times the fight experience, Fortune thinks he’s prepared for the task.

“For me personally, I think m ready to fight anybody at any time,” Fortune said. “It’s not a thing where I’m trying to learn. I have the skills and abilities, it’s more about application.

“I can’t say I’ve learned everything I need to learn. I’ve got to stay in the mindset of a beginner and always be ready to learn, because there’s always something to learn. Especially in this sport where there’s so many aspects and sides of the game.”