Bellator 120's Alexander Volkov says lefty Blagoi Ivanov no problem

The final of Bellator’s Season 10 heavyweight tournament is set for Saturday, and former champion Alexander Volkov is fighting to win back the title.

“I feel great,” the 25-year-old Moscow native told MMAjunkie Radio. “I’m very excited for this fight, and I prepared for this fight very hard.”

The two kick off the pay-per-view main card of Bellator 120, which takes place Saturday at Landers Center in Southaven, Miss., just outside of Memphis. Preliminary card fights air on Spike TV following additional prelims on Spike.com.

Standing in the former champ’s way is a hard challenge: Blagoi Ivanov, a grappling specialist who has yet to taste defeat in MMA and once handed Fedor Emelianenko a loss in a national sambo tournament.

Ivanov’s appearance in the finals is something of a miracle, with the Bulgarian battling back from a near-fatal stabbing and winning four straight in the Bellator cage.

Volkov’s first Bellator defeat came at the hands of another undefeated heavyweight, Vitaly Minakov, who took his belt in less than three minutes when they fought six months ago. But Volkov said he’s trained specifically for the threat Ivanov presents.

“He’s left handed, and I changed up my training a little bit, so I’m ready for him,” Volkov (21-4 MMA, 5-1 BMMA) said. “I’m ready for his wrestling skills and everything. I prepared with good wrestlers and jiu-jitsu guys here in the U.S. I’m ready to wrestle with him.”

Ivanov (11-0 MMA, 6-0 BMMA) earned a ticket to the final when he submitted UFC vet Lavar Johnson with an americana in the first round of their fight in April. Volkvov has tapped out only once in his career, a rear-naked-choke loss four years ago, and he said he prepared with standout heavyweights in Southern California at Blackhouse, among other gyms.

And while Volkov might tower over Ivanov at 6-7, his orthodox stance exposes him to a different set of attacks. Volkov, who’s previously trained with Emelianenko and other standouts from the famed Red Devil Sport Club, said he’s prepared for those, too.

“I train with left-handed guys, so I know how to move him and what to do with him,” Volkov said. “He’s shorter than me, so I’m used to this. It will be better for me. That he’s left-handed is no problem.”

Volkov could win a rematch with Minakov later this year if he’s able to get past Ivanov. He might then head back to his native Russia to prepare for the next leg of his comeback against an Eastern foe.

The former champ is still working on his English, though, and picking up skills as he works stateside to shore up any weaknesses that might keep him from his goals.

“I have a lot of different training partners in striking and boxing and wrestling,” Volkov said. “I have a lot of people who help me to prepare.”

For the latest on Bellator 120, stay tuned to the MMA Rumors section of the site.