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Interviews
BELLATOR [MULTI] QUOTABLES: Heavyweight prospect Cole Konrad talks about training with Brock Lesnar and his reasons for signing with Bellator Fighting Championships
"Brock [Lesnar] actually took care of me from the financial standpoint. He knows the guys he wants around him to help him train, people he gets along with, and he compensates you for it. I was fortunate, because it allowed me to train full time. Every time he had a practice, I was there, not just to get myself better, but to help him peak for his fights... I wanted to be well rounded before I walked in. It's foolish to think that because you are good at wrestling you're going to be great at MMA. It would be no different than them thinking because they were good at MMA they would be good at wrestling. They're not the same thing. I knew I had to develop all areas of the game, and I still have to. I have a long way to go before I'm where I want to be."
On Lesnar:
"If you haven't worked out with him and felt that athleticism and explosion, it's hard to comprehend. As big and strong as he looks, he actually feels more powerful and more explosive. It's hard to believe. You get so used to going with a guy that big, that explosive, that powerful, that when you step back and get in with someone who isn't on that level you think 'Well, wait a minute here.' Because he isn't in the same league as what you are used to seeing."
Why Bellator?:
"(Bellator) came at me with an interesting opportunity. It's not all about the money. They were able to give me some fights pretty quickly, worthy competitors relatively quick. It's the right direction for me. With the other, bigger organizations, it seems like guys fight every four months at most. That's not where I am right now. I need ring time. I need to become more comfortable in the cage. You can only learn so much in practice. When the bell rings, it's go time, and you learn a lot when you are out there."
-Former University of Minnesota NCAA D-1 wrestling Champion turned MMA fighter Cole Konrad talks to Jonathan Snowden on Brawl Sports about training with Brock Lesnar and choosing to sign on with the upstart Bellator Fighting Championships for their second season.
Penick's Analysis: Konrad is going to be one hell of a fun fighter to watch develop in Bellator. I honestly believe he may be the embodiment of what Brock Lesnar could have done in the sport had it been an option for him out of college. As the sport was in its dark ages at that point and there wasn't the money to be made that Lesnar is making now, he chose to sign with the WWE. For all of the negativity spewed against Lesnar for having the audacity to be a professional wrestler before coming into the sport, it always seems to be forgotten just where the sport was at when he was getting out of the U of M.
Konrad is blessed, not only with the physical gifts he's been given, but for the fact that his wrestling coach also coached Lesnar at Minnesota and that connection allowed him to be one of the people brought in for Lesnar's camps. Being afforded the opportunity to train full time and develop your skills before having your first fight is simply a luxury most don't have, not to mention getting to develop your skills alongside the UFC Heavyweight Champion.
It's also great to see that he's trying to develop his career in a smart fashion and not jumping into Strikeforce or the UFC just to get the exposure. With him expected to fight twice on Bellator's second season and possibly be a member of the eight man heavyweight tournament that is likely for season three, he'll get a chance to get on a lot of fans' radars while continuing to get better, and he'll be a much more prepared fighter once he does make it to the big show.
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