INGLEWOOD, Calif. – [autotag]Curtis Millender[/autotag] kicked off his second stint as a Bellator fighter with a unanimous decision win at Bellator 238, then said he has earmarked three prominent members of the promotion’s welterweight division as future opponents.
Millender (18-5 MMA, 3-2 BMMA) outpointed Moses Murrietta (8-4 MMA, 1-1 BMMA) at The Forum to claim victory on his return to the organization he last fought for back in January 2017, and said he was happy with his display after a solid all-around performance.
“I feel like I performed very well,” he told reporters, including MMA Junkie, backstage after the fight. “I went out and I showed a lot of things that I wanted to show. I wrestled a little bit, got a couple of takedowns, dropped him a couple of times. Overall, without getting a finish, getting two 10-8 rounds is just close (enough).”
[lawrence-related id=484360,484175]
As well as his reunion with Bellator, the fight also represented Millender’s return to a familiar venue, and the Anaheim native said he was both happy and relieved to pick up a much-needed win to halt his two-fight losing skid.
(It was ) a big load (off my shoulders),” he admitted. “The last time I won was in this building, in December 2018, so it’s been a while, so just hearing that I won, it’s awesome.”
Now back in the win column with his new promotion, Millender is now targeting more eye-catching matchups, and has a trio of potential opponents in mind for future matchups in 2020, with fellow striker Michael Page at the top of his list.
“I still want that, man,” he said. “It’s up to him. It’s clearly up to him, because everybody knows I want the fight. I want exciting matchups: (Jason) Jackson, I wouldn’t even mind Ed Ruth. I have to beat the kind of guys who have been my Achilles heel throughout my career. That’s the only way I’m going to get what I deserve.”
[vertical-gallery id=483850]