Undefeated Canadian featherweight Kyle Nelson returns to action for the first time in over a year as he squares off with Bellator veteran Adrian Hadribeaj (3-0) at TXC Legends 6: TXC MMA Undisputed on September 12th. Nelson (6-0) spoke to MMAOddsBreaker on Episode 120 of “The Parting Shot Podcast” and discussed a variety of topics. Attending the TUF 22 tryouts in April “It was a good experience. I got to meet some of the guys from the UFC like Joe Silva and stuff. [I also] worked some of the guys that were trying out for the show. So I grappled a bit and saw what some of the other guys trying out for show were like. So I think it will be interesting to see who all actually make it on the show so I can compare myself to them. There are so many things going on with that show. I feel physically as a fighter, I could have held my own anyways with most guys there. With a TV show there is so much stuff going on as far as personalities and how they want to build a TV show. I’m sure the UFC is also looking past the TV show and looking for guys too that they can market and brand in the UFC afterword’s. Coming from a bigger camp is always a little easier.” Training at Team Alpha Male the same time as previously scheduled opponent Jeremy Kennedy “I actually talked to Mike Malott because I train with him a fair amount out of House of Champions. He hooked me up with Dave [at Team Alpha Male]. I wasn’t too worried about Jeremy seeing me training because I knew with a month left he’s not going to be able to prepare for everything I’m bringing to the table anyways. If anything it probably scared him a little bit. I found out two or three days before I actually flew out. It was kind of too late to do anything about it because the flight was booked and everything was booked up. I kind of knew when I got there that he was going to be there. I was there a couple of days before he showed up and then we both kind of knew we were going to be there. We just never really looked at each other or talked to each other until three weeks in when he came.” What he gained at Team Alpha Male “Everything got better what I improved the most was my wrestling. Even my mindset a little bit, getting to train full time and not have to worry about a lot other things like work. It really helped me put things in perspective and kind of help me understand how far I can go with this if I ever get to the point where I don’t have to work a couple different jobs or have travel three or four hours to train.” Being away from his family in Ontario “It was fairly difficult. My son when I went away I think was eight months old. Not a whole lot goes on but he learns a word or two there and luckily I didn’t miss too much. He hasn’t started walking yet but I could have missed a lot of his development. I’ve spent a lot of time away from my wife with training and stuff. Spending a month away from my son this early on was taxing.” When he’ll be back to Team Alpha Male “It’s definitely something I want to do again; I just need to get the right fight. It’s really expensive and the amount of money I’m making from fights doesn’t quite touch the expenses. So I kind of have to wait until I get some bigger paydays.” On his BFL 37 title fight against Jeremy Kennedy being cancelled (due to an injury to Kennedy) “I was crushed. I think for me right now it was the best possible fight for me and I invested a lot in it. With the belt on the line, I went above and beyond spending to prepare for the fight. With it, it was going to be the main event; it was going to be live on The Fight Network. There was going to be the 145lb belt on the line and I’m fighting Jeremy Kennedy who is 7-0. To beat Kennedy would shoot me up the rankings; I would have a nice shiny belt to bring home. All my friends, fans and sponsors could watch from their home on The Fight Network too. It was going to be perfect.” On a potential bout with Unifed MMA featherweight champion Sabah Fadai “I never heard of Sabah until I [got] the Kennedy fight. Then Sabah goes on Facebook and Twitter and saying a bunch of gibberish. So I was like [I’ll fight him] and I’ll take on all of B.C., there is nobody out there I’m afraid of. Sabah kept running his mouth on and on, then Kennedy ended up backing out, I think it was two weeks out. Then Sabah kept running his mouth again, so I was like awesome why don’t you step up, this is perfect we can save the card. Sabah wasn’t into it, so he wouldn’t accept the fight. Then a month later he starts talking again. I don’t think that fight will ever happen.” How the Sept 12th fight against Adrian Hadribeaj came together “[Battlefield Fight League] offered me to fight [Jeremy Kennedy] Sept 11th but as soon as our last fight fell through, I got on the Internet and got talking to as many promoters as I could. I agreed to a couple of different fights coming up and then they finally turned around and offered me Kennedy again. I was already signed to some contracts so I will have to wait a little bit. I think still Kennedy a great matchup for me and I don’t think he’s going to lose the belt with the guy they’re feeding him now. So I’m sure he’ll hold on to that long enough for me to take it.” Matchup against Adrian Hadribeaj “I saw some of his fights and stuff. He’s done a lot of karate and has got a big karate background. I think it’s a good fight for me. I think my stand-up is going to be a different style then his, but I think my style will work better against his. I think my ground game, wrestling, jiu-jitsu and everything will be better. I think all around I’m going to be the better fighter. I think he’ll try to come in a little heavier, I think he’s a natural 155er where as I fight at 145lbs fairly easily. With it being a five round fight, the longer it goes, I’m sure the better I’ll do and the worse he’ll get.” Training camp for this fight “I’m training at House of Champions and got a lot of good stand-up guys there so my stand-ups always on point. Then I’m over at Parabellum MMA and we’re working stand-up but I’m getting a lot of wrestling and jiu-jitsu in. Then I’m doing a lot of jiu-jitsu technique up at Muskoa Kickboxing. We don’t have anyone coming in with Adrian’s style, but I’ve got guys like Alex Ricci and big 155ers that are strong and getting the hang of that. I’m not too worried about Adrian’s specific style.” Potential ring rust having not fought since May 2014 “I’m not worried about ring rust at all. We got a cage at Parabellum and I’m in there every week putting in my five, five minute rounds. With a new fresh guy every round and working with big 155ers.” Where he’d like to fight next after his Sept. 12th bout “I’ll take whatever I can get. I’ve had a hard time getting fights anywhere. If Bellator, UFC offers me something even better. As long as I get fights coming in, I’m going to move up to the big leagues sooner or later. Whether I have to put together a 10-0 or 15-0 record, it doesn’t really matter to me as long as I’m fighting. I’ll get there.” How often he’d like to fight “I’d like to fight once a month. We might have something lined up for October. Get through the September one, beat somebody up in October. See if we can’t find somebody in November. Maybe take December off spend some time with the kid and get back at it in January.” Prediction for the fight on September 12th “We’ll say third round, four minutes in, knockout by “The Monster”” You can follow Kyle on Twitter @THE__MONSTER. You can listen to the full audio version of this interview on Episode 120 of The Parting Shot Podcast (75 mins in)
