Bellator champ Daniel Straus reflects on 'awkward' tetralogy vs. Patricio Freire, 'whirlwind' recovery

Bellator champion Daniel Straus and former champ Patricio Freire are set to headline Friday’s Bellator 178 in what will complete a rare tetralogy.

The first two times, at Bellator 45 and Bellator 132, “Pitbull” (25-4 MMA, 13-4 BMMA) emerged victorious. But the third, at Bellator 145, saw Straus (25-6 MMA, 11-3 BMMA) walking away with the unanimous decision and the promotion’s featherweight belt. Now, set to defend his title against none other than his three-time foe, Straus reflects on the odd position of having such a recurring opponent.

His verdict? Well, it’s complicated.

“I don’t know, it’s kind of hard to explain sometimes,” Straus told MMAjunkie. “The good part is we kind of know each other; the bad part is we kind of know each other. It’s awkward. Sometimes it’s hard to get excited for the fight, on the other hand it’s not as hard to get excited for this fight, because you know what he’s going to bring to the table, he knows what I’m going to bring to the table.

“I know what he’s good at; he knows what I’m good at. It just makes the chess game a little bit harder. Where it’s like, ‘What is he going to do this time?’ I’ve gone back to our previous fights to, you know, look at them and look at what I did wrong, look at what I did right and look at what he did wrong, and what he did right.”

If he beats Freire and retains the belt, their score will be tied 2-2. But, if that turns out to not be the case, the champ is fine leaving it at that.

“I think we need to move on,” Straus said during an MMAjunkie Radio interview. “And (get) some of these new guys in there. A lot of people that haven’t noticed, this is like the end of an era. The end of the old Bellator era. I’m excited to get this fight over with and, once it’s over with, we’ll see what happens down the road. But right now, I think it’s good to get some fresh faces in there and some more fights, some newer fights.”

The featherweight bout headlines Bellator 178, which takes place Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The event’s main card airs live on Spike following prelims on MMAjunkie.

Straus’ title defense will also mean a much-awaited return following an almost year-and-a-half layoff. The reason was a nasty hand injury sustained in the first round of his last encounter with Freire, which required multiple surgeries.

Speaking to MMAjunkie Radio last October, Straus talked about the big mental hill he was yet to climb as he resumed full training. Now, as he readies himself for action, he looks back on the ups and downs of an emotional time off.

“It’s crazy,” Straus said. “You have good days, bad days. You have days where you – there have been times when I didn’t even think I was going to fight again. There’s times when I’d keep doubting my comeback, and then there times when I felt like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m going to be back soon,’ just to have another hand surgery. You know, it’s just … it’s taxing.

“I think it’s all part of the fight game. I couldn’t let it beat me up, so I didn’t really – sometimes I was down and out, and next thing you know I’m feeling good and excited. The best thing about it is that everyone that’s been around me has helped me. Helped stay focused on the bigger picture, the big goal, and that it’s not going to be forever. The mental aspect, it’s just been a whirlwind.”

Straus had suffered other injuries before, including a broken hand that delayed a title shot in 2013. But this time, the scenario was much graver than the previous “hairline fracture.” At points of a process that involved bone graphs, metal plates, screws, and not being able to move his fingers, Straus had to ask himself some difficult questions.

“At first it’s just like, ‘Oh god, what I’m going to do, I don’t know if I’m going to be able to make a fist. If I do make a fist, will I be able to punch?'” Straus said. “It really was just one of those things that I had to get over mentally.

“Now I’m at a point where, hey, if it breaks again, it just breaks. I don’t really think about it anymore. I’m at a point where I’m like, ‘Hey, it’s just not a big deal.’ But at the beginning of the injury, it definitely was a big deal. Actually thinking, ‘Is this hand injury the end injury?'”

With the uncertainty behind him, Straus tries to focus on the positives that came out of being away from the cage for so long. And, while he doesn’t seem particularly inclined to repeat the experience any time soon, he finds solace on what he’s gained.

“I got to spend a lot of time with my family. I got to work on myself. I got to work on things that I never thought I was going to get to work on,” Straus said. “But at the same time, I’ve missed this sport, I’ve missed fighting, I’ve missed paychecks. I missed everything that I love about fighting. But I also got to gain, as well.

“My body healed up. I’m feeling like I’m getting younger. All my nagging injuries I’ve had over the past years – neck injury, knee injuries, elbows, hips. All that has been able to heal up, as well as my hand. Mentally, I’ve been able to sit back, read and focus, think about things I heave’t thought about in years. I’ve got to look at the sport differently than I’d been looking at when I was in it. It definitely has its silver lining somewhere.”

For more on Bellator 178, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.

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