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Melvin Manhoef
Melvin Manhoef used to avoid grappling like the plague. He’d go to the ground only if absolutely necessary or if he had to follow an opponent there to land a few fight-ending blows.
That’s an understandable approach for a kickboxer who’s earned 93 percent of his career victories by knockout. However, Manhoef (30-12 MMA, 2-1 BMMA) knows that if he wants to not only win the Bellator middleweight title from Rafael Carvalho (12-1 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) at Bellator 155 next month, but also hold it for any appreciable amount of time, he must be a complete fighter.
“Before I was doubting my ground game, but I don’t do that anymore,” Manhoef told MMAjunkie. “My jiu-jitsu and wrestling is not the highest level, but I believe in my ground game. I think I can make it pretty hard for everybody now. It’s very relaxing now.
“It’s getting better every day in my training. I’m pretty confident also in the ground. If they want to bring me to the ground, I’ll just get up again and start banging again. It doesn’t matter what kind of game plan they have.”
Bellator 155 takes place May 20 at CenturyLink Arena in Boise, Idaho. Manhoef challenges Carvalho in the headliner of the Spike-televised main card following prelims on MMAjunkie.
It took Manhoef more than 20 years from his pro MMA debut to finally get comfortable on the ground. His first fight took place in December 1995, and since then, Manhoef has competed in more than a hundred MMA and kickboxing fights.
With his focus on balancing two sports, as well as routinely being matched against fellow strikers in MMA, “No Mercy” has never truly been forced to adapt to the ground game. He’s suffered seven of his 12 career losses by submission, but it never bothered Manhoef too much, he said.
But then one day it all began to come together. Something clicked for him, and he said it couldn’t have come at a better time. Although Carvalho is primarily a striker, he’s been known to take fights to the ground, as well.
Manhoef said he is ready for that, which in his mind is the mark that lets him know he’s prepared to be a true champion.
“The turning point was, I don’t know, it was there and then it kept coming and coming and coming,” Manhoef said. “Now when I fight guys that are (ground fighters) – before it was a hard time with me. I can do things and submit them now, and I see my ground game is growing. It’s very pleasant because you get confidence out of those situations. I’m really glad. Before I didn’t say this because I wasn’t confident on the ground. Now I can say it. My opponent can try to do what they want.”
Whether Manhoef will opt to bust out his grappling chops at Bellator 155 remains to be seen. But at 39 he knows another chance to win a belt in a major organization may not come along.
“He’s a great fighter,” Manhoef said. “Strong hands, strong legs. His hands are stronger than his legs. He’s good at coming forward, so there’s a good matchup for me.”
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