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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Matt Erickson

Pat Downey says he fits in the MMA mold well enough to wish he’d done it sooner

NORWICH, Conn. – Pat Downey thinks he might like this MMA thing a little bit.

The 30-year-old Downey is a standout wrestler who transitioned to MMA with a pro debut earlier this year – a 36-second submission win. He said right away in the MMA world, he felt like he fit in more than he ever did in the wrestling community.

He even said the way things have been so far for him, he’s been wondering why he didn’t come to MMA sooner.

Downey (1-0 MMA, 1-0 BMMA) takes on Christian Echols (2-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) on Friday at Bellator 289 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Check out the full media day interview with Downey above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 289.

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