The MMA world might start looking at Aaron Jeffery as its next hidden gem if he keeps it up.
Jeffery (14-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) outworked the previously unbeaten Dalton Rosta (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) on the Bellator 298 main card this past Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D., for a unanimous decision. Jeffery was nearly a 2-1 underdog to Rosta.
The 30-year-old Canadian got back in the win column after a March loss to former Bellator title challenger John Salter. Before he arrived in Bellator, Jeffery’s only losses were to current UFC standouts Sean Brady, Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho – the latter two of which came in shots at a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
But without those DWCS setbacks, Jeffery might not find himself experiencing the kind of success that likely will have him as the promotion’s No. 4 middleweight this week.
“I hope (I’m living up to Bellator’s expectations),” Jeffery said at his post-fight news conference. “I don’t think I’ve lived up to my own expectations yet. I think I can do a lot better than that still. I think I’m maybe starting to get my groove here a little bit. I got a loss out of the way. You never want to lose, but I think having that behind me now, maybe there’s a little bit of pressure off, too. I think I’m only going up from here.”
As for his win, Jeffery admitted the optics of him as a slightly taller and less visibly muscled fighter than Rosta may have had people overlooking him. He was overlooked when he made his biggest splash before this – an upset of Austin Vanderford a year ago this weekend after Vanderford fought for the title.
But Jeffery said he doubted Rosta’s strength would be an issue.
“It’s not a f*cking bodybuilding contest,” Jeffery said. “Obviously, he’s a strong guy, and that’s a strength, and he can outmuscle a lot of guys. But I don’t know – I’ve never really been outstrength and outmuscled, so it didn’t intimidate me that much.”
Jeffery has won four of his past five fights, including three of four for Bellator.
Check out Jeffery’s full post-fight interview in the video above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 298.
