Matt Mitrione says his reaction to struggling to keep in a new mouthpiece at Bellator 225 is what caused his TKO loss to Sergei Kharitonov.
According to Mitrione (13-7 MMA, 4-2 BMMA), misplacing the mouthpiece he typically uses just days prior to his main event rematch with Kharitonov (29-6 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) forced him to order a new one for the fight at Webster Bank Arena in Bridgeport, Conn.
It clearly didn’t work out, because Mitrione lost the mouthpiece four times during the fight with Kharitonov. After the fourth drop, he was hit with a fight-ending combination that resulted in a second-round TKO.
Hours after the fight, Mitrione issued a statement on the contest (via Twitter):
Me losing was not because of my mouthpiece, it was because of my response to the situation. I always use the same one & lost it Thursday before fight week. Had an impression done at a West Lafayette dentist. It was shipped to hotel. First time I ever wore it was tonight.
After the first fight between Mitrione and Kharitonov in February ended in a 15-second no-contest due to an accidental low blow, the pair finally had the chance to run it back.
It ended in another bizarre sequence, with the Russian come out as the victor.
Mitrione, 39, now finds himself on a three-fight winless skid for the first time in his career.
