"I have to go in there and impose my will, man, and not leave anything behind or leave any doubts. I have to stay on the path that I'm on and know that God is going to bring me to victory and not allow me to go through 3 straight losses," stated Bellator light heavyweight Emanuel Newton, who talked about his upcoming rematch this Friday against Linton Vassell. Check it out!
PC: One of the toughest guys in Bellator, Emanuel Newton, how is everything going preparation-wise for your rematch against Linton Vassell on February 19th in Houston?
EN: Everything is good, man. I'm just putting in the time in the gym more than ever. I'm putting in the time in my studying and getting closer to God, so it's going to shine here on Friday.
PC: You had a tough 2015. What do you feel you have done or had to do to change your fortunes in 2016?
EN: To be honest, I just really got closer to the Lord, man. I've grown a deeper understanding of myself and realized this is how my whole career has been. I lose two and win eight and then I will lose another two and then I will win another ten. So it's just been kind of my whole career and how I roll. But the Lord has his hands on me and he always wants me to grow and change, so he allows me to go through these things so that I can come to a deeper understanding of myself and where he wants me to be; not where I want to be, but where he wants me to be.
PC: Rematches can be dangerous for the winner of the first fight because I feel the guy that lost could work on more things. How are you approaching this rematch?
EN: I don't look at the last fight as so much as I beat him. It was a good fight and I'm not one of those guys that tends to bask in former glory. I just always try to look ahead, especially after what I went through last year and the mindset that I have now. So nah, man, I just had good preparation and, like I said, gotten closer to the Lord and changed some things up in camp and put in more time in the gym. And those things are going to shine here on Friday night.
PC: You would have to go back to 2009 to find the last time you dropped 3 straight fights. Obviously you are looking to avoid that. What do you feel you have to do inside of the cage to prevent that from happening on Friday night?
EN: I have to go in there and impose my will, man, and not leave anything behind or leave any doubts. I have to stay on the path that I'm on and know that God is going to bring me to victory and not allow me to go through 3 straight losses like I did back in '09.
PC: You never really enjoy a height or reach advantage here in the light heavyweight division, yet you always seem to be able to get your offense off. Is that just because you're so awkward that you're able to do what you want against bigger guys?
EN: Yeah! It's just a matter of staying with my style and staying unorthodox and keeping my opponents guessing so that I'm always able to get in there, do some damage, and land some strikes when I feel the time is right. Yeah man, I just praise God for me being so unorthodox and awkward and being the fighter that I am.
PC: I don't know if it was a maturity thing or you got with a better camp, but you're one of the rare fighters that actually got better with age. Do you feel you are still growing as a fighter?
EN: I feel like I'm always growing. I'm always coming to new understandings and new heights and adding little things to my game to make my game better. And a lot of the stuff is just basic stuff. It's just fixing the little things and adding to the basic game that I already have and just making sure everything is crisper and on point. So yes, I'm always growing as a fighter and that's the way a man should always be. If we're not growing physically, then we're growing spiritually and mentally, you know?
PC: Definitely! Linton is coming off of a couple of losses as well. Given that fact and the fact that he knows what you bring to the table from the first fight, are you expecting a quick pace or patient pace from Linton?
Enl Honestly, I don't know, man. It's not really something I can even say until we actually step in there because I don't know what his mindset is going to be. A lot of fighters know you can change the way that you do things. It can be the day of the fight and you say, "Okay, this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to come out aggressive or I'm going to stay back or whatever." Or you may get in there and the other guy may bring something to the table that you never seen before and then all of a sudden, it's like, "Oh shit, I gotta figure this out." So I think it's just a matter of knowing what you gotta do when you get in there and making sure that you compose it and put it out there when you go at it with your opponent.
PC: It will be exactly 5 months from one fight to your next. Was that layoff well needed or would you have liked to fight sooner?
EN: Nah man, I needed it because I stayed in the gym. I haven't been sitting at home doing nothing. I've been in the gym training. I think it was the perfect amount of time for a little chillin' and kicking it and just becoming better within myself and my training.
PC: Where would you like a win over Linton Vassell to place you among the division?
EN: I definitely think it will place me back in the running of title contention. I think it's a matter of what happens with Phil and Liam, whenever they put that together, and whoever else they sign, which would be a good match up for me later on down the line.
PC: You are one tough dude and I always enjoy your fights. Best of luck. Is there anything else you would like to add?
EN: Follow me on my Instagram, @newtonemanuel, Twitter @Emanuel_Newton and check out the new energy drink that we're sponsoring called Genx. It has no aspartame. It's not going to rip up your stomach like Redbull. It's good shit, it has a lot more vitamins, and it tastes amazing and there is no crash. Also, I'm looking forward to seeing my boy AJ McKee and Bubba Jenkins. You know AJ is undefeated right now and we're looking to grow and do big things this year. He has 3 straight wins and this kid is only growing more. He's only 20 years old and he is a monster. We all live on the same property; me, AJ, Antonio McKee, my trainer, who is AJ's father. They are like family to me. We call ourselves the brothers. We are like a tribe over here. But I'm excited to see what they are going to do to.
[ Follow Percy Crawford on Twitter @MrLouis1ana ]