Heavyweight Veteran Derek Bohi Angling for First Championship at VFC 55 | MMAWeekly.com

In picking up his second straight win earlier this year against Lucas Overcast for KC Fighting Alliance, heavyweight Derek Bohi overcame one of his most difficult opponents en route to a second-round TKO.

“It was a lot tougher fight than I an anticipated,” Bohi told MMAWeekly.com. “As far as big heavyweights that can strike, (Overcast is) probably the most technical striker I’ve fought.

“He was coming out with a real leg kick-heavy game, and I’d never really seen anybody like that, so I had to make some adjustments. I got him on the ground and got the finish in the second round. I’m happy with my performance and making adjustments on the fly with my game plan like that.”

After starting off the first two years of his career with a lot of inconsistency, Bohi is in a stretch where he has won four of five bouts over the past two years.

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“When I got to the pro level, I’d win one, lose one, win a couple and lose one, and my training wasn’t very consistent,” said Bohi. “I had an opportunity about two years ago to move into training full-time.

“I teach at the gym I work out at, and that’s my whole schedule: I get my training and teach classes. I think my skillset has evolved a lot because of the extra amount of time I’ve put into it, and I think it’s showed.”

Bohi (8-4) will have an opportunity to win his first MMA championship when he takes on Dan Gellenmore (5-3) in a heavyweight co-main event of Victory FC 55 on Friday in Topeka, Kan., on UFC Fight Pass.

“I’ve known Dan for a long time,” Bohi said. “He’s coached guys and I’ve coached guys and have kind of circled a lot in the Midwest heavyweight scene.

“What’s nice about my skillset is that I feel I’m the most well-rounded guy he’s seen. I have world-class BJJ. I have more knockouts than I have submissions. So if he wants to keep it on the feet, we can keep it on the feet; or if he wants to grapple, we can grapple.”

For Bohi, getting the chance to fight for a title is a big thing for his career. At 37 years old, it could be now or never for Bohi, and a title could go a long way towards boosting his stock heading into 2017.

“I’ve known Dan for a while, and if it wasn’t for a title in one of the top Midwest organizations, I probably wouldn’t have been interested in the fight,” said Bohi. “The fact that it’s for a title and on UFC Fight Pass, we couldn’t turn the opportunity away.

“(A title being on the line) adds a lot to me. This is going to be my 13th professional fight and my first opportunity to fight for a championship, so I’m excited to get one of these belts.”

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