For featherweight Justin Gonzales, picking up a win over Kai Kamaka III at Bellator 279 this past February was a big step forward for him after having the only non-perfect year of his career in 2021.
Getting the win over Kamaka was something Gonzales plans to use as momentum as he looks to close out his 2022 on a winning streak.
“2022 has been a great year for me,” Gonzales told MMAWeekly.com. “I was coming off my first loss, bouncing back, getting to travel out to Hawaii and getting a big W over a tough opponent. It was great for me.
“It was good to get back on track. Now I want to keep it going. I can’t complain. Injury-wise I feel pretty good. Career-wise things are rolling. Now I get to go off to Milan, Italy, so what a way to cap off a great year.”
Gonzales admits he didn’t downplay his loss to Kamaka, but took it as a sign that he needed to reassess things and stay motivated to move his career forward in a positive way.
“I definitely took it personal,” said Gonzales. “I took some time, had to slow down, went back to the drawing board, talked to my coaches and analyzed some things. Some people jump right back into it, and that’s their logic, but my logic is to figure things out and fix it.
“After bouncing back and getting a win, it’s really put things in perspective. I like winning a hell of a lot more than losing, so let’s keep this ball rolling.”
This Saturday in Milan, Italy, Gonzales (13-1) will look to add a second win to his record this year when he faces Andrew Fisher (19-8-1) in a main card 145-pound bout at Bellator 287.
“Andrew Fisher is a tough opponent,” Gonzales said. “He’s a gamer. He’s going to bring it. He’s going to be a tough fight. That’s what I want. I want to take on all the best, so whenever I get that belt there’s no doubt in anyone’s minds that I deserve it and I’m the champ.
“He’s going to come and try to bang a little bit and maybe try to wrestle me, but I believe my wrestling is good enough that I can hang with the best in the world, so I’m going to beat him up a little bit on the feet, wrestle him a little bit, and ultimately leave that cage with my hand raised.”
While Gonzales is excited to see where he can take his career in 2023, for right now his focus is on Saturday night and the task at hand.
“2023 is right around the corner, so I can’t say I haven’t thought about it, but I’m a realist; I can’t make plans until I get this stuff situated,” said Gonzales. “So it’s one thing at a time. Right now I have Andrew Fisher to fry, and once that’s done then we’ll look onto 2023.”
Justin Gonzales on Bellator 287 opponent Andrew Fisher: ‘I’m going to beat him up a little bit’
