Entering his bout this past April with Nianoa Dung at Bellator 279, Lance Gibson Jr. had built quite a start for himself during his career with four wins in a row, and was looking to add to that success.
Following a bit of a rough start, Gibson was able to get things rolling his way and picked up the unanimous decision victory for his fifth win in a row.
“As a fighter it’s not that fun getting hit, but it’s important that you can bounce back, stay calm in the storm, go right back to the fire and put it on your opponent,” Gibson told MMAWeekly.com. “That’s what I showed.
“I can move forward with a wealth of knowledge and a good base for my next generation of what I’m going to be doing in my performances.”
This past year, Gibson has spent time working on his ground game, making it so he can place less dependence on his stand-up to help secure finishes in his fights.
“I’ve been adding a lot more skills to my wrestling base,” said Gibson. “I’ve been sharpening up my wrestling and my Jiu-Jitsu so I can submit more people on the ground as I’m inflicting my ground ‘n’ pound.
“I want to get more submissions. I’ve been building on my skills and I can’t wait to show people what I’ve got.”
On October 1 in Long Beach, California, Gibson (5-0) will look to remain undefeated when he faces late-replacement Dominic Clark in a 155-pound preliminary bout at Bellator 286.
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“It’s important that you prepare for opponents, but you also prepare yourself,” Gibson said. “You have to be prepared mentally for the change and prepared technically for the change.
“I make sure that my skills are well-rounded, and that all my holes are buttoned up and we’re constantly improving. I’m not the same fighter I was in my previous fight, I’m even better, and that’s really important in this sport.”
For Gibson, as long as he’s able to grow and showcase his skills to the best of his ability then that’s what matters most to him as he moves forward in his career.
“In this sport you can’t focus too much on records,” said Gibson. “Losses can happen in any sport. At the end of the day you want to become so well-prepared mentally and physically and not fear anything once you step in there.
“You can go in there with an open hear and open mind and perform to the best of your abilities. If I perform to the best of my abilities I’m happy win or lose.”