Jaleel Willis had a slight taste of Bellator’s rankings and is motivated to prove he belongs among the welterweight elite.
After a short stint as a top-10 Bellator welterweight, Willis (15-2 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) will look to re-enter the rankings when he takes on former ACB champion Mukhamed Berkhamov (14-1 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) at Bellator 268 on Saturday.
“The drive that I got is I’m still not in those rankings,” Willis told MMA Junkie Radio. “I still want to get back in there. I want to be more than just No. 10. I want to be more than just who this dude is at the edge of the rankings. I want people to know who the realest is. I want them to know who Jaleel Willis is, honestly.”
If he gets past Berkhamov, Willis is planning on shooting straight for the top five. The former lightweight sees 170 pounds as his home for the foreseeable future and wants to face standout wrestler Logan Storley (12-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) next with a win on Saturday.
“Logan Storley (is who I want). I want to stay at 170,” Willis said. “I want to get bigger. I want to be a beast, trying to be like ‘Rumble’ Johnson or some sh*t.”
Bellator 268 takes place Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.
To see the full interview with Willis, check out the video above.
