Simeon Powell is excited to see what the future holds after his hard fought co-main event win at Bellator Champions Season: London.
The GB Top Team prospect got back to winning ways against the vastly more experienced Rafael Xavier. After being hurt early in the fight, Powell managed to turn things around and claim a razor close split decision win.
For any athlete, their next bout back after suffering a loss is vitally important and it looked as though things were heading from bad to worse for Powell, after he was dropped in the opening round of the contest. Speaking to the media post-fight, the 25-year-old discussed what was going through his mind as he hit the mat. He said:
“(I was thinking) It's not over. It's not over. This game is a game of inches. One step in the wrong place and get caught, but today I showed my heart. Today I showed what I was about. I mean, sometimes it's one of those days, you know, it's sports at the end of the day.”
The tension was palpable inside the OVO Wembley Arena as it was announced that the judges were split, ahead of the official decision. Although relieved to have his hand raised, Powell admitted he was unsure how the bout would have been scored. He said:
“It was a massive relief. Like, obviously the first round, he got that round. Of course, he dropped me but I knew it wasn't over. Second round, I knew for sure I won. Third round, I had to dig deep. I don't want to get into excuses, but there was sh*t. I just had to dig deep...
“I though I had won, but I wasn't sure. I wouldn't be mad if they gave it to him, if I'm truly honest, because I know what I'm about.”
Reflecting on his career up until this point, ‘Smooth’ acknowledged that he still has a long way to go but was happy that he managed to show more facets of his game over the 15 minutes against Xavier.
“I'm him. I can get dropped. I can get hurt. I think I've shown a lot in my short career. I've shown that I can get dropped, I can come back, I can knock people out quick.
“I've shown a lot in my short career and I'm just going to get better... I'm 25! Look at the division, all the champions are 38, 40, I’m 25. I've got years of growth in this game, I'm going to be back.”
Powell has had to learn on the job. Only 11 fights into his career, he has already received monumental backing from the PFL and is relishing the opportunity to grow at a rapid rate.
