Fight fans haven’t seen Mauricio Alonso compete inside the Bellator cage since he finished “The Ultimate Fighter 1” veteran Josh Koscheck via punches at Bellator 172 in February 2017.
Not known as a finisher, Alonso’s TKO over Koscheck was his first since 2014. The win was also his first in Bellator.
Thirty-one months later, Alonso (13-7 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) will return to Bellator when he takes on surging prospect Johnny Eblen (5-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) on the Bellator 229 prelims.
Bellator 229 takes place Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Despite his inactivity, Alonso is riding a three-fight win streak. The 39-year-old middleweight has stayed active in his time away from the cage, competing in numerous grappling bouts for the “Fight to Win” promotion out of California.
Full name: Mauricio Antonio dos Santos Alonso
Nickname: Some of my students call me ‘General’, but I don’t like it.
DOB: 02.27.86
Birthplace: Sao Paulo
Height/Weight: 6-foot-1/185 pounds
Team: Combat Sports Academy (CSA) in Dublin, Calif.
Learn more about Mauricio Alonso ahead of his Bellator return in the Q&A:
Can you talk about the road to becoming a professional MMA fighter?
My first contact with martial arts was at Esporte Clube Pinheiros in Sao Paulo, where I did judo from age seven to 11. Later, I played soccer until age 17. I came close to going professional. I was a goalie. Around age 17, I was brought by Gabriel Vella to Ryan Gracie’s academy in Sao Paulo, for a trial class. I haven’t stopped since. I started participating in jiu-jitsu tournaments. Guys from my generation, we all used to watch Royce Gracie’s early UFC fight tapes. From there, I decided I would fight in vale-tudo. When I was 20 or so, I started to box. I became the amateur champion in the state of Sao Paulo. After that, I started to train muay Thai at Eduardo Pamplona’s Gibi academy, also in Sao Paulo.
I had my first professional bout in 2005. Financial support was hard to find. It’s still hard today. I had sponsorships from a few clothing and equipment brands, but I primarily depended on my family, my parents. They didn’t love my career choice, but as they saw my dedication, they gave me their support. That was highly important to me.
After our coach Ryan Gracie started fighting in Pride, all of us wanted to follow his path. I never got into Pride, but I did get to fight in Japan. I’m still battling to make it in this sport. I feel I haven’t yet reached my full potential. That why I’ve never stopped. My faith and perseverance brought me this far. I’m a third-degree jiu-jitsu black belt under Ryan Gracie and I teach at the Koa Fitness academy in Newark, California.
You’ve faced notable fighters like Gil de Freitas, Daniel Sarafian, Jaime Jara and Josh Koscheck. Talk about those experiences.
Whoever saw my bout against Gil de Freitas knows I was robbed. Against Daniel Sarafian, who today is a good friend of mine, I still think I won that fight. Or, at least, it could have been a draw. Jaime Jara, I beat via second-round KO. For Josh Koscheck, I trained very hard to be ready for him. I had just switched over to the CSA academy. I kept my focus and was able to beat him. I know that he also took it seriously, and had every intention of winning. Thankfully, I got the job done.
Why haven’t we seen you fight since you beat Koscheck in February 2017? Were you hurt?
I wasn’t hurt, other than minor things that happen in training. I just kept training and improving things. Without a doubt, for my next bout, I’ll show a version of myself that’s much better than the one who faced Koscheck.
What can you say about your next opponent, Johnny Eblen? Can you talk about your preparation?
He’s a young guy, with a 5-0 pro record. He’s basically a wrestler. But he’s not stiff like a traditional wrestler. He has reasonably good striking. I’ve been training in all facets of the sport at Combat Sports Academy, as usual. I train under striking coach Kirian Fitzgibbons, conditioning coach Greg Nagaye, wrestling coach Alex Munoz, and jiu-jitsu coach Darren Uyenoyama, who’s a black belt under Ralph Gracie. I was already down to 190 pounds, two and a half weeks before the bout.
Johnny and I have roughly the same height and reach. I’m feeling very ready. It’s going to be a good fight for the fans. I have excellent training partners such as Gaston Bolanos, Eddie Abasolo, and Jason Butcher. They’re pushing me so I can bring my best.
How do you see the fight playing out?
I believe I’ll be the winner. I’m getting ready to win. After I beat Koscheck, I thought a lot of things would happen. This time, I’m leaving what’s next in God’s hands.
Anything else?
I’ll keep fighting as long as my bones can take it. My keys in life are always faith, perseverance, and work ethic.
