Wanting again at her win over Justine Kish at Bellator 274 in February, flyweight DeAnna Bennett feels that it wasn’t simply good to kick her yr off with a victory, however coming again off of a probably career-threatening scenario and simply to have the ability to battle once more was an enormous factor.
Following Bennett’s win over Alejandra Lara at Bellator 265 in September of final yr, her profession may have come to a halt resulting from an sickness that might have taken certainly one of appendages and presumably completely broken others.
“In November of final yr I ended up very sick and was within the hospital for 9 days and nearly misplaced my foot and thought I had irreparable injury in my hand,” Bennett instructed MMAWeekly.com. “The docs instructed me that I would lose my foot and by no means battle once more, so to go on the market and get that win it felt nice.
“To be myself and do what I do know I can do was superb. I cherished each second of that battle (in opposition to Kish in February).”
Returning to combating and choosing up a win wasn’t the one large taking place for Bennett in 2022. Following the victory over Kish, Bennett made a transfer to a brand new workforce and feels it’s been paying off in coaching since.
“Coming off that win in February I’ve made lots of adjustments since then,” mentioned Bennett. “I truly uprooted from New Jersey to Philadelphia and joined the Gracie/Marquez workforce.
“It’s an incredible room to be in. They push me each single day. I get to coach side-by-side with these superb individuals each day, and so they push me, so it’s made the perfect fighter I’ve ever been.”
This Friday in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Bennett (12-7-1) will look to choose up her third win in a row when she rematches Kish (8-5) in a preliminary 125-pound bout at Bellator 284.
“Truthfully I don’t wish to examine it to the final battle,” Bennett mentioned. “I’ve individuals saying that I already beat (Kish), so I understand how to beat her and I can do it once more, however I do know personally for myself I generally is a totally different fighter, I wish to proceed to evolve and be a greater fighter, and I really feel she does as properly, so I’m taking it as a very totally different unbiased new battle.
“I anticipate her to return out with a brand new recreation plan and it’s going to be a complete new battle this time.”
Ought to Bennett defeat Kish once more, she’s acquired a transparent purpose in thoughts that she’d like to realize earlier than the tip of 2022.
“I wish to cap off my yr with the belt,” mentioned Bennett. “I’ve a birthday on the finish of the yr, in November, and I believe the perfect birthday current I may give myself is a brand new shiny Bellator belt.”
