New Bellator champ Liam McGeary: Shocked to get belt, Tito 'living in dreamworld'

Emanuel Newton and Liam McGeary

Liam McGeary didn’t look as happy as one might expect after winning the Bellator light heavyweight title.

But according to the new champ, he was trying to figure out how he had even gotten to the scorecards against champ Emanuel Newton (25-8-1 MMA, 8-2 BMMA).

“I don’t know how he managed to get out of that kimura in the first round,” McGeary (10-0 MMA, 7-0 BMMA), 32, told MMAjunkie Radio. “His arm popped and as he spun, he kind of popped back into place, and I was like, ‘You lucky bastard.'”

McGeary, 32, had provided no work for judges in nine previous fights, so he was a little bit lost. As the scores were read, he found himself daydreaming about what had just taken place in the headliner of Bellator 134, which took place this past Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The fight aired live on Spike TV.

McGeary said he went over all the moments he felt a finish was in reach. He thought about all the struggle he’d been through to make it to this moment, and how that moment had passed from concept to actual reality.

“I didn’t have a clue what was going on,” he recalled of his moments standing in the cage after 25 minutes with Newton.

When he heard a voice announce a new champion, he snapped to it. But it was a different feeling than he was expecting.

“I thought I’d be bouncing all over the place, but this massive rush of emotion came over me,” he said. “I’ve never had to deal with anything like that. People ask me how I would feel when I got the belt wrapped around my waist – I’m happy. I’m ecstatic about being the world champion. But I think in the moment, it was just ‘Sh-t. I’ve actually f-cking done this.'”

The Brit talked a good game as he burst on the scene with Bellator. He not only did that, but he backed up big claims, finishing all of his opponents to win a “Summer Series” tournament and earn a title shot.

Now, he’ll be asked to do more than talk big – he’ll need to hold on to a title as the bulk of the Viacom-owned promotion’s light heavyweights clamor for it.

Among them is Tito Ortiz (18-11-1 MMA, 2-0 BMMA), who took to Twitter to call out the new champ. McGeary wants a little time to himself before contemplating his next move, but a meeting with the UFC Hall of Famer is hard to pass up.

“To fight Tito would be an absolute honor, because this dude’s a legend in the sport,” he said. “But for him to say that he’s going to capture the belt and defend it once, that’s him living in his little dreamworld. I’ve got the belt, and it’s time for me. There’s no defend it once and lose it – I’m keeping a hold of that.”

Although his win didn’t come without a few raised eyebrows given the amount of time he spent on bottom against Newton, McGeary wasn’t in doubt about what the judges would say when they returned scores.

“No, I knew I’d beaten him up,” he said. “My game was on the ground, and I was constantly attacking him, and he wasn’t doing anything on top. I know sometimes judges are like, the guy on top has control.

“But there was never really any control that he had. I was completely in charge of what was going on and where it was going on. I think I definitely did enough.”

It was, indeed, a close fight. McGeary might need to get used to those now that he’s on top.

“I think I need to speak to my manager and see where we go next,” he said. “They’re going to be speaking to Bellator, and we’ll go from there.”

For complete coverage of Bellator 134, check out the MMA Events section of the site.