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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Nolan King

Bellator 284 winner Pat Downey vows to not let ‘cancel culture’ get to him, has unfinished business with Bo Nickal

Pat Downey is officially carving a new career path as a professional mixed martial artist. He left wrestling behind, and with it, he hopes the negativity, too.

At Bellator 284, Downey (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) defeated Keyes Nelson (0-4 MMA, 0-1 BMMA) by submission 36 seconds into the first round of their middleweight bout. The maneuver capped off a long-awaited MMA debut after much athletic controversy and adversity.

“My perspective is nothing but positive,” Downey said in a post-fight news conference. “I have a really, really good feeling, and I’m not going to let any negativity or any haters or any cancel culture or any of that sh*t – none of that is going to ruin my parade and ruin this career for me. I’m here to take over this middleweight division.”

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