Melvin Manhoef happy to risk Bellator MMA title fight with kickboxing match

Melvin Manhoef

Melvin Manhoef is a risk-taker. His fighting style shows it, as does the decision-making in his combat-sports career.

For an example, look no further than Manhoef’s (30-12-1 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) schedule in the coming months. He fights at the debut Bellator Kickboxing event, Bellator 152, on April 16, and he’s then booked to challenge Bellator middleweight champion Rafael Carvalho (12-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) at Bellator 155 on May 20 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. The main card airs on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Manhoef started his career as a kickboxer. As time went on, though, he fought more frequently in MMA. More than 20 years after his debut in the sport, he finally gets a shot at a major title when he fights Carvalho.

So why would Manhoef take the risk of a loss or an injury in a kickboxing match one month prior to the biggest MMA fight of his career? It’s just the kind of guy he is, he said.

“It’s very risky, but there are a few things that are very positive,” Manhoef told MMAjunkie. “First of all, the kickboxing fight is first, so I’ve started my training camp already. I was studying standup, so my standup is very sharp and very good.

“For my MMA fight against Carvalho, he also likes to stand up and trade, and he has ground skills, but he likes to stand and bang also, so I think it’s an advantage for my preparation for my MMA fight. That’s why I wasn’t so concerned about it.”

Things have changed quickly for Manhoef. At this time last year, he was coming off consecutive brutal knockout losses to Alexander Shlemenko and Joe Schilling, the latter of which was a “Knockout of the Year” contender.

The loss to Schilling marked the 11th time in 12 career losses that Manhoef had been stopped inside the distance. At 39, concerns over his long-term health became more prevalent, and “No Mercy” was seemingly being encouraged to walk away from competition.

All it took was one fight to change perception, though. After taking 11 months off, Manhoef returned to deliver a highlight-reel first-round knockout of Hisaki Kato at Bellator 146 in November. The victory earned Manhoef the title shot and reinforced his belief that the end is not yet near.

“This is what a fighter has to do, is to fight,” Manhoef said. “I had hard times, but when you go through hard times, the only thing you can do is fight. I believed in myself. Bellator believed in me. My family, my team and everybody believed in me to still do it. Now we did it, and now I can go for the title. For me it’s a dream coming true. This is what I want.”

Between his MMA and kickboxing careers, Manhoef has nearly a hundred pro fights. He said the opportunity to win a Bellator belt makes the Carvalho fight the most important of the bunch.

“This is really special, really special,” Manhoef said. “Everyone was doubting me and is still doubting me. When everything goes good, everyone is happy. But when some things go different, you have to still be strong and do what you do best. That’s believe in yourself and go forward. That’s what we did.

“At the end we have this title shot, and I still will not die yet. Now the focus is on April 16. Then after that, the focus is going to be on winning the belt. Then I will do everything in my power to become champion and stay champion until I retire.”

For more on Bellator 152 and Bellator 155, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.