HONOLULU – Danny Sabatello punched his ticket into the eight-man Bellator bantamweight grand prix on Friday, and he’s extremely confident he’ll go through the field to win it at all.
Sabatello (12-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) punched his ticket into the tournament with a one-way beatdown of Jornel Lugo at Bellator 278, using a relentless grappling approach to win a unanimous decision in a wild card matchup that placed him into the semifinal round, where he’ll take on Leandro Higo.
After producing a stellar performance against Lugo, there’s no doubt in Sabatello’s mind he’s going to keep the momentum going against Higo (21-5 MMA, 3-4 BMMA), who he views as a very favorable matchup.
“There’s no way there’s a guy out there that can beat me right now,” Sabatello told MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight at Bellator 278. “If I can do that to a guy that’s a stud like Jornel Lugo, 8-0, undefeated, really f*cking talented and skillful fighter, than I can beat anybody. And now Leandro Higo is f*cking next. If you think I dominated Lugo, just wait and see what I do to Higo.
“Leandro, you’re a f*cking great matchup for me because you suck and I’m good. This is going to be a poetic performance for me.”
The bracket – #Bellator278 pic.twitter.com/l1IMeq0GS3
— Bellator Public Relations (@BellatorPR) April 23, 2022
Sabatello, who trains out of American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Fla., said his grand prix quarterfinal with Higo is scheduled for June 24 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. He plans to take or two days to celebrate his win over Lugo before jumping back into training camp, where he intends to build on his skillset even further.
At just 29, Sabatello is confident he’s merely scratching the surface of his capabilities, and he expects only better from himself as he attempts to come out of the grand prix with the interim 135-pound title and a $1 million prize.
“You can’t really mimic (my style),” Sabatello said. “Nobody out there has my type of pressure. I guess you could put a 7,000-ton bolder on you and say, ‘This is Sabatello,’ but I don’t even think that would do justice. There’s no one out there that mimics my style and has my skills and my capabilities. I’m only getting f*cking better from here.”
