Former Bellator MMA Welterweight Champion Andrey Koreshkov faces Mike Jasper tonight at Bellator 219.
Jasper is a late replacement for an injured Lorenz Larkin and Koreshkov didn?t even think much about accepting a new opponent.
?I was very excited to fight Lorenz Larkin ? he?s a very famous fighter,? Koreshkov said to MMA Junkie. ?And as far as I knew, he was a substitute fighter for the tournament in case someone got injured, and he would step in. So if I beat him, I (could) be a substitute fighter. When I heard he was injured, I was thankful I got another opponent and I could still fight. ? Unfortunately in my career, there were periods of time when I wasn?t able to fight for a long period of time. I don?t want this to happen ever again. That?s why when I was told Lorenz got injured and I had another fighter to fight, I took it without even thinking.?
Koreshkov and Larkin were supposed to compete in the main event of this card, but Koreshkov and Jasper will still get a main card slot on tonight?s event.
The former welterweight champion plans on displaying some new techniques in tonight?s fight.
?I?m not thinking about sending any messages to anyone, but in this particular fight I?ll try to work some things, some new techniques I haven?t done before,? Koreshkov said. ?And of course, I?ll try to finish the fight in some kind of unorthodox or spectacular fashion.?
Bellator 219 takes place tonight from the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, California with Saad Awad and Brandon Girtz headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on the Paramount Network.