According to George (Pictured), who faces Wilson Reis on Saturday in the quarterfinals of the Bellator Fighting Championships Season 4 featherweight tournament, the 17 months he has spent away from the cage have actually worked to his advantage.
“I’m rolling out a new and improved version of myself this time around. I haven’t fought in a while, and it’s actually been a real blessing for me,” said George. “My performance will do all of my talking for me. Wilson seems like a really nice guy, and after the fight we can be buddies, but during the fight, I’m going to be trying to punch a hole in his face.”
The wrestler rides a six-fight winning streak into his Bellator 37 clash with Reis, which airs live on MTV2. Though his opponent sports an extensive submission pedigree, George feels he holds the key to neutralizing the Brazilian’s jiu-jitsu.
“I think I definitely want to put Wilson where he’s the weakest, and that would probably be on his feet. I’m sure it’s going to go to the ground at some point in the fight, but it’s going to be me on top, punching him and busting him up,” said George. “I know Wilson is extremely decorated in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, but I’ve tapped out a lot of black belts. I like to describe what I do as ‘anti-jiu-jitsu,’ because when you add the strikes in there, it really opens things up.”
Not surprisingly, Reis sees it a bit differently. When the featherweights square off at the Lucky Star Casino in Concho, Okla., the Brazilian believes his jiu-jitsu will reign supreme when the fight hits the floor. However, that does not mean that the former EliteXC bantamweight king is afraid of engaging in the standup.
“I definitely think I’ll have the advantage on the ground, but I’m also very confident on my feet, as well. I’m absolutely ready for anything that Zac has to bring,” said Reis. “I know there are going to be no easy fights in this tournament, so I expect for Zac to be a really tough fight, but it’s a fight I definitely expect to win.
A two-time Bellator tournament semifinalist, Reis hopes he can run the gauntlet in this third attempt in the eight-man draw. In order to claim the $100,000 in total pay and title of No. 1 contender for Joe Warren’s featherweight championship, however, he will have to first get through a powerful opponent in George.
“I’m definitely focused on winning this tournament, but I know that I’m going to have to win two fights before I get to the finals. This is just the first of those two. I’m very focused on my first fight with Zac right now,” said Reis. “I want to fight as hard as I can for Bellator because they gave me this third opportunity to come back and show the fans how good I truly am.”
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