David Rickels working toward another shot at Bellator lightweight title

David Rickels will use a simple strategy when he battles John Alessio in a Bellator lightweight feature fight on Friday at Kansas Star Event Center Arena.

He will do everything he can to wear down his opponent.

Rickels views his next fight as a battle of youth vs. age. At 26, he thinks his energetic brawling style, which combined with his large red beard, has earned him the nickname “Caveman,” will give him an advantage against Alessio, a 35-year old who is prepping for his 53rd fight.

“He is basically a dinosaur,” Rickels said. “He has been around since the beginning of time. Good thing I am a caveman. I am going to slay him.

“He has been fighting since before I started training. The guy has had a ton of fights and been around for a long time. He is a veteran in the game, well respected, and it is a tough fight. But I feel like I am a lot better and a lot younger. I am going to push the pace on him and see what the old man can do.”

Rickels, a Derby native with a 16-3 record on the Bellator circuit, hopes his plan of attack will lift him to his second-straight victory and push him on a path that will eventually lead to another shot at a lightweight championship.

After a red-hot start to his fighting career (14-1), Rickels fought for a title belt in 2013, but lost resoundingly to Michael Chandler. The fight was over in 44 seconds, with Chandler landing a flurry of early punches that led to a knockout.

Rickels has split his last four fights, but he says he is a different man and fighter now. Losing in a championship setting forced him to change.

“It was terrible to lose like that, but hindsight is one of those great things,” Rickels said. “Looking back, I can say I wasn’t ready for that at the time. I kind of blew up. I won a tournament for Bellator and I was instantly in the title fight.

“Going from not being a recognized fighter to right into a title fight overnight was crazy. I don’t think I was mentally prepared. I didn’t fully believe that I deserved to be wearing a belt or that I was ready for it. I personally think I sucked back then. If I could fight myself from two years ago I would kill him.”

That confidence stems from radical changes in his diet and workout regimen. Two years ago, he said used to weigh as much as 210 pounds in between fights. It took everything he had to quickly drop 54 pounds and stay in fighting shape.

When he lost his championship fight, doctors informed him continuing those drastic weight changes would negatively impact his body. So now he stays at about 180 pounds in between fights.

His latest workouts at a gym with other area fighters in Manhattan have felt stress-free by comparison.

“I have changed a lot mentally and I have changed a lot physically,” Rickels said. “I have changed a lot in my training. I am making these changes and working harder than ever. It’s making me believe what I am capable of includes making a run at this belt and grabbing it.”

Achieving that goal won’t be easy.

First off, he needs to beat Alessio (35-17), a veteran fighter who wins twice as often as he loses. Then he will need to win the following fight and possibly two or three more. He needs to build another winning streak.

He can picture it all in his head, even his victory celebration. Should he win a lightweight belt, he says he will take it to the nearest Chinese buffet and use it as a plate for crab rangoon.

“I am realizing how close I am to it,” Rickels said. “I know I can get back there. I know I can. I am at a pivotal point where I can climb to the belt, get it and bring it back home.”

If he properly wears down Alessio, Rickels could be on his way.

“Where I expect to beat him is with my pace,” Rickels said. “Being a little bit younger, being a little bit sharper and a little bit faster. One of the best things in the world I am good at is wearing people down. I am a very high-paced and high-pressure fighter. I am on guys, constantly pressing and constantly wearing them down, draining their energy level. That is exactly what I want to do.”

This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 3:16 PM with the headline "David Rickels working toward another shot at Bellator lightweight title."