Andrey Korsehkov has a hard time finding fights, according to Lorenz Larkin, but “The Monsoon” is ready to answer the call.
Larkin (20-7) takes on Koreshkov (22-3) in the main event of Bellator 229. Larkin was surprised to learn his opponent had such a hard time finding fights.
“He is this guy that everybody ducks. I’m baffled with that. This whole thing. Everybody ducks him,” Larkin told Bloody Elbow.
Larkin argued that Korsehkov has fallen short to the only two elite fighters he has faced. “The two guys that he fought [at the top-level] are Douglas Lima and Ben Askren.”
Koreshkov has lost the two most recent of three fights with Lima. Koreshkov was also TKO’d by Askren in 2013. Koreshkov holds a 2016 unanimous decision over Benson Henderson, but Larkin was dismissive of that performance: “There is Benson Henderson, but he is a 55er. He did 170 because he has talent, but he can’t survive at 170. He is a great fighter but he is not a 170er.”
“The Monsoon” lost his first two Bellator fights to Lima and Paul Daley. Larkin made the jump from UFC having won four of five fights. This stretch included wins over Jorge Masvidal, Santiago Ponzinibbio and Neil Magny. Despite his success in the UFC, Larkin was not surprised by the challenges presented to him in Bellator. “I was never that guy to think that the best competition was in the UFC and UFC only,” he assured. “I’ve always known there is good competition in all major organizations. That comes from being in Strikeforce. I was never naive like that.”
Larkin vs. Koreshkov headlines Bellator 229 at the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California on Oct. 4.