Mandel Nallo finally is back and will look to add another highlight-reel finish to his record.
He will join his Tristar teammate, Bellator welterweight champion Rory MacDonald, at Bellator 232, which takes place Oct. 26 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Nallo (7-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) hasn’t competed since October 2018, when he scored a “Knockout of the Year” contender, blasting Carrington Banks with a knee in the second round at Bellator 207.
Due to a string of unfortunate cancellations, the undefeated Nallo hasn’t been able to build off of that momentum, but he says he’s been using the time away from the cage to make improvements in his game.
“I feel like everybody else is disappointed – this was like a big break,” Nallo told MMA Junkie. “I feel like that’s the perception that everybody had, and then it felt like it kind of fizzled, but for me, I’m getting better, so there’s no disappointment there. I’m still progressing as a fighter.”
And one way to gain more consistency for Nallo, who’s only fought once a year for each of the past four years, is perhaps competing in a tournament.
He hopes with a win on Oct. 26, Bellator sets up a lightweight grand prix, where he’d have his next couple of fights set, should he advance.
“With a good win here, with a good guy, I think the plan is maybe if they set up a tournament for (1)55’ers in Bellator, that would be very nice,” Nallo said. “If not, then just get some ranked opponents. I was lined up to fight a ranked guy earlier this year, and that fell through. I don’t really mind. I’m having fun – that’s all I care about.
“It leaves some stability. A career where there’s so much flux as to what will happen, like Jorge Masvidal, you can end up on top of the world after having such a long career. It’s nice to be in a tournament where you kind of know the trajectory, so that seems fun, and you get more consistent fights which is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
To hear more from Nallo, check out the video above.
