Fabricio Guerreiro bringing judo, Team Alpha Male training to Bellator 120

Fabricio Guerreiro picked up some new tricks during his recent training at Team Alpha Male, but tonight at Bellator 120, he expects judo will still be his primary weapon.

Guerreiro (19-3 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) meets fellow featherweight Shahbulat Shamhalaev (12-1-1 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) in a Spike TV-televised preliminary-card bout, which precedes the night’s pay-per-view main card at Landers Center in Southaven, Miss.

Guerreiro most recently competed in October, when he dropped a decision to Patricio Freire in the semifinals of Bellator’s Season 9 featherweight tournament. Shamhalaev, meanwhile, hasn’t fought since April 2013, when he had a failed bid at 145-pound champion’s Pat Curran’s belt.

Both fighters could be dealing with ring rust, but the 23-year-old Guerreiro believes he’s a better fighter than he was just seven months ago, thanks in part to his work at California’s Team Alpha Male gym.

“I’m training with everyone here and putting together my strategy,” he told MMAjunkie. “I’m working with Duane Ludwig on my striking and Fabio ‘Pateta’ Prado on jiu-jitsu. (I’ve worked with) everyone there, really.”

Guerreiro had racked up a 7-1 record with six stoppages before his loss to Freire. It included a Bellator-debut win over fast-rising Desmond Green. However, he couldn’t maintain the momentum against Freire, who threw Guerreiro for a loop with his game plan that night.

“I studied Patricio’s game extensively, and he really surprised me,” he said. “I had trained my standup and never expected me to take me down and tie me up. I thought he was going to try to knock me out, and he fought completely different. It frustrated me.

“That loss made it clear to me that a fighter should be ready for anything, not just for an opponent’s game, but also if he decides to surprise you. I’m aware of that now. Training should include strategy for an opponent’s skills, as well as putting emphasis in one’s own strengths.”

That prompted him to continue his training at Team Alpha Male, but he said he’s still loyal to his judo roots.

“I try to do my part to represent judo,” he said. “I always try to put into practice what I’ve been learning my entire life. Those techniques flow more easily than others. It’s automatic.

“I do think that most MMA fighters focus on wrestling and end up forgetting about how judo works. That’s how we catch our opponents.”

Heading into tonight’s bout, hard-hitting Shamhalaev is a 3-1 favorite. Prior to the Curran loss, the 30-year-old had posted five consecutive knockout wins.

Although Guerreiro is confident in his standup game, he knows it’s not his best path toward victory.

“He’s very dangerous,” Guerreiro said. “So I’m already keen to his strong and weak points. We’re training for that. I think it’ll be a great fight. He is tough, but I’m not easy either. Hopefully things will work out.”

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