After knocking out one of the hottest prospects in Bellator, Hungarian star Adam Borics is riding a tidal wave of momentum. Now he’s heading into the Bellator featherweight grand prix looking to extend his unbeaten run all the way to the final and title belt.
In his last outing, undefeated Borics (13-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) spectacularly knocked out Aaron Pico at Bellator 222 in June as the 26-year-old announced himself as a serious threat to the division’s best. And now he says he’s ready to make his mark against the biggest names in Bellator’s 145-pound class.
“I am so excited, but I am the same person who works hard every day,” Borics told MMA Junkie. “I have a goal to become a world champion, and I’m working towards that every day.”
That knockout against Pico, a stunning flying knee, catapulted Borics to stardom back in Hungary, and he said he was mobbed when he returned there after his fight.
“I went back to Hungary, and it was crazy” Borics said with a laugh. “Everywhere I went, everybody knew me and wanted to take a picture. Now I feel like people are realizing that ‘The Kid’ is for real. Before everybody was talking about (Pico).
“And I see they are still pushing him. I like Pico; he’s a nice guy. But come on, bro. He’s 4-3 now. We have other good fighters in this division, so let’s give some exposure to other people, too.”
That exposure is coming. The grand prix, which kicks off Sept. 7, pits Bellator’s top 16 featherweights head to head in an elimination tournament to crown a grand prix champion who will also finish the competition as Bellator’s featherweight champ and $1 million richer. It’s exactly the opportunity Borics wants, and he says he’s looking forward to his first-round matchup against former champ Pat Curran at Bellator 226.
“It’s a really good matchup for me, because he’s a former champion,” Borics said. “I think this fight is going to be like the future against the old guy.
“I have to be smart, because he’s a former champion. He was up there at the top of the division, and I want to get there. He’s good everywhere and has a lot of experience, so I have to fight smart. I have a good gameplan. I think it’s going to be a good fight.”
Borics said he’s staying focused on the task at hand and hasn’t given too much thought to his next move after Curran. But he did reveal one name he didn’t want to fight.
“I don’t want to fight against Daniel Straus, because we trained together one year ago. So if I fight him, I want it to be in the final. But other than him, I’m OK. I don’t mind who’s next.”
Listening to Borics, it’s clear that he’s already in fight week mode and zeroing in on his opponent. And, after his spectacular win against Pico, he said his tireless hours in the gym at Hard Knocks 365 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., will pay off in the tournament.
“Watch out, ‘The Kid’ is coming!” Borics said. “The hardest worker on the planet!”
