Joey Beltran Discusses His Upcoming Bout Against Matt Mitrione at UFC 119

Although Joey Beltran isn’t as well known as some of the UFC’s top heavyweight contenders, “The Mexicutioner” has done nothing but impress in his young mixed martial arts career.

Prior to entering the Octagon, the San Diego, California, native competed for a number of smaller organizations, and made a name for himself with victories over several established mixed martial artists, including former UFC competitors Sherman Pendergarst, Wes Combs, and Houston Alexander.

At UFC 109, Beltran made his Octagon debut against the highly-touted Rolles Gracie; grandson of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu founder Carlos Gracie Sr. Although Gracie was favoured heavily leading up to their bout, Beltran thoroughly outclassed the grappling ace en route to a second-round stoppage victory.

After proving that he belonged in the UFC with an impressive victory over Gracie, Beltran was pitted against the always-tough Tim Hague at UFC 113. Although Beltran out-worked Hague over three rounds, he wasn’t able to finish “The Thrashing Machine” and thus earned his first-ever career victory by way of judge’s decision.

At UFC 119, Joey Beltran is slated to face fellow heavyweight and ‘The Ultimate Fighter 10’ alumni Matt Mitrione; an opponent that many analysts believe will supply Beltran with his first real test inside the Octagon.

Recently, Beltran, 28, took time out of his busy schedule to discuss his upcoming match against the undefeated Mitrione.

Inside the Octagon you've registered victories against Rolles Gracie and Tim Hague. Although both Gracie and Hague are both tough competitors in their own right, many analysts view Matt Mitrione as a "step-up" in competition for you. Do you feel that this is the case?

I feel that in some categories Matt is a step up; his athleticism and his striking are two that stick out in my eyes. Tim might be tougher and Rolles is a better pure Jiu-Jitsu player.

In the majority of his bouts inside the Octagon Mitrione has looked sloppy yet effective, unorthodox but successful. Given Mitrione’s unpredictable style, are you doing anything different in your preparations for UFC 119 compared to a typical training camp?

I’m preparing to fight a southpaw, and I’m approaching it as if he were a world-class striker. If I leave no gaps or holes in my defense, then it won’t matter if he is sloppy or not.

You’ve said on your website that you are always working to clean up your Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu techniques. Given Mitrione’s past success standing up, is it possible that we can expect to see you try to score a victory with your ever-improving ground-game?

In my previous two UFC fights, I had the gameplan to keep the fight on our feet. In this fight I won’t shy away from rolling with Matt. I’m ready to go wherever the fight goes, but I have a feeling we will scrap it out on our feet.

Mitrione is a big, physical mixed martial artist who holds a noticeable size advantage over the majority of his opponents, and at UFC 119 Mitrione will probably weigh in at around 20 pounds heavier than you. How do you plan on dealing with this size discrepancy?

It will be nothing new for me to be outweighed at fight time. I will push the pace so the extra weight will be detrimental to him. I honestly don’t see it as an issue.

With a victory over Mitrione at UFC 119 you’ll be undefeated with three wins inside the Octagon, where do you see yourself in the UFC’s crowded heavyweight picture?

If all goes well, I still see myself as a lower-tier heavyweight. I’m going to need a big opportunity against a top-10 or former top-10 fighter to get up that ladder. I’m in no rush, as I’ve only been training full-time for a little more than four years. I’ll continue to work hard to get better and keep winning in the Octagon.

In your bout against Mitrione you have the opportunity to showcase your skills to millions of casual fans, as your bout will be broadcasted live on Spike TV prior to the start of the Pay-Per-View. How big of an opportunity is it for you to fight in front of a very large number of fans?

I will fight like I always fight and I’m sure the fans will be happy. I see it as a responsibility to entertain the crowd in Indy as well as everyone at home. I know if I perform well, win or loss, it should bring great opportunities to boost my career.

You’ve probably visualized your bout many, many times in your head at this point. Do you have a prediction for the outcome of your bout at UFC 119?

I predict an entertaining fight I'm going to Indy to get in a good old-fashioned brawl and I want some bonus money!

Keep an eye out for Beltran's scrap against Mitrione, which will be broadcasted on Spike TV for all to see prior to the beginning of the UFC 119 broadcast on Pay-Per-View.