Thierry Sokoudjou Looking to Live Up to His Potential in Bellator

If one thing has eluded former Pride FC star Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou Nkamhoua throughout his career it’s been consistency. It seems like every time he’s taken one step forward, he takes a step back.

And while Sokoudjou has had trouble finding consistency, he has managed to rebound off of difficult times and prove he’s someone that cannot be counted out.

With that said, Sokoudjou is looking forward to making his Bellator debut on Friday after having lost his last two bouts, because he feels he can once again rebound and get things back on track.

“I’ve had a few tough years, but nothing worthwhile comes easy,” Sokoudjou told MMAWeekly.com. “I’ve had a bunch of up and downs, but that’s how life goes.

“I know I can do better. This time I made sure I’ve trained with the right people and did the right things and I’m ready.”

One thing Sokoudjou has done to make sure he doesn’t repeat the past is mix up his training routine.

“I think I’ve done a lot of things right since day one, but one thing I did wrong was train with the same guys over and over,” he said. “This time I went to different gyms, trained with different people who had different skills. Training with guys with different fight styles has helped this time.

“I can tell all the beautiful stories you want to hear, but when it comes to fight, everything comes out. I’ve done everything I can do to make sure my first fight in the US in a few years goes right.”

For his first fight in Bellator on Friday in Thackerville, Okla., Sokoudjou (14-12) will take on Terry Davinney (10-7), who is also looking to rebound off a two-fight losing streak.

“I know he’s a tough fighter, has a big left hand and is interesting because he changes his stance once in a while,” said Sokoudjou of Davinney. “I’ve just got to be myself. I’ve got to go there, blast him, take him down and beat him up.”

Having made changes of late to ensure he doesn’t fall into the same patterns he has in the past, going forward, Sokoudjou is focused on getting better and whatever comes of that is just a bonus.

“I know I’ve got the skills to be whatever I want to be, to do whatever I want to do, but I haven’t done that yet,” he said. “I feel like I can do better than I’ve done before.

“Championships come with good work. I don’t want to say I want to be a champion and just get there, I want to stay there. My goal is to get all the wins I can get and everything else will follow through.”