If you haven’t heard of Anthony Taylor yet, don’t be surprised.
Despite entering Friday’s Bellator 177 card with just a 1-2 record, “Pretty Boy” stole the show during a press conference for the event on Tuesday.
The card airs on Spike from Budapest, as Taylor meets Adam Borics.
“Welcome! Welcome! How’s it going? I am the “Pretty Boy”, the prettiest of them all. I definitely want to thank Budapest and Bellator for bringing me in. Of course, I bring numbers, you know, so I’m expecting this should bring over a million viewers, hands down,” he said. “I want to thank you all for coming here and showing the support. We’re going to put on a show – one hell of a show. We’re going to get these ratings up and have so much fun. Definitely.”
Taylor signed with Bellator in 2015 after an amateur career that saw him go 1-6. He lost to Adin Duenas in his debut with the promotion, rebounding last May to finish Victor Jones in just 27 seconds. That positioned him for a bout with James Gallagher last December, which he lost via submission in the third round.
All that doesn’t seem to bother Taylor, who continued to promote himself during the press conference like a superstar.
“Hands down, pound for pound, everyone knows I am the strongest 145-er in the division and if anybody stands in my way or stands in the middle of the cage and wants to bang with me, they’re gonna get knocked out. I kid you not! Anybody in the featherweight division stands toe to toe with me is going to get knocked out,” Taylor said. “I’m not going to take nothing from this man. He has a 9-0 record so he’s definitely put in work. He beat up nine people, but it doesn’t mean he’s going to beat up me. I tell you that! But I give him credit because he’s coming out here and sacrificing his time and being away from his family to put in his work just as I am. We’re going to put on a show for all you fans out there and all you media out there.
“You know in my eyes, this is the main event: The Hungarian versus the American. Everyone wants to see this fight. They want to see what is this man can do with a record of 9-0. He earned his wins and I respect him as a fighter. But after Friday he will be 9-1.”
