Matt Mitrione advanced to the semi-finals of the Bellator Heavyweight Grand Prix when he defeated Roy Nelson by decision in the main event of Bellator 194.
While Mitrione was happy to get the win over Nelson, one thing that has angered him is that Nelson apparently cheated during the fight.
“Roy then took his right big toe and lifted his foot off the ground and stuck it inside the fence,” Mitrione said on The MMA Hour. “And then for 45 seconds — or 40 seconds or so — inside of that round when he was on top of me punching me or elbowing me, he was cheating. He had all this leverage, because he was pushing off the fence driving into me.”
This is the second time Mitrione and Nelson have fought, but it was Nelson getting the win by first round knockout in their initial encounter at the UFC Ultimate Fighter 16 Finale.
Mitrione also believes that any future relationship with Nelson won’t be a positive one going forward.
“What I’m saying is, for the time that he was supposedly winning that fight, for the second half of the third round, he was cheating,” Mitrione said. “So, I don’t consider it at all. I think I smoked him unanimously and I think he’s a cheater. So I lost all respect for him and I’m not gonna be cool with Roy ever going forward again. That’s sideways and bogus.”
With the opening round win behind him, an advancing Mitrione faces the winner of an upcoming bout between Frank Mir and Fedor Emelianneko later this year.
