TEMECULA, Calif. – Luke Trainer beat Sullivan Cauley with a first-round submission Friday to open up the main card at Bellator 293 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif.
Take a look inside the fight with Trainer, who used his upset as an opportunity to propose to his girlfriend in the cage, live on Showtime.
Sullivan Cauley vs. Luke Trainer
Result: Luke Trainer def. Sullivan Cauley via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:58
Updated records: Trainer (7-1 MMA, 4-1 BMMA), Cauley (5-1 MMA, 5-1 BMMA)
Key stat: Cauley started his Bellator career, and pro career in general, with five straight first-round knockouts and could have made Bellator history with a sixth.
Trainer on the fight's key moment
“He knew he was going to shoot, and he shot out of panic. I knew if I just stay relaxed, stay calm, he’s going to gas himself out, make mistakes. He hasn’t been in a dogfight. He hasn’t been with someone who wants to be there, who embraces the violence. I knew that going into it. I was nervous and ready.
“All he was saying all through his interviews was how I’ve got nothing but being tall. I’ve got bad jiu-jitsu. I’ve got bad striking. He’s the best wrestler. Blah blah blah. He wasn’t ready. This is going to teach him. He’s going to come back so much stronger. I felt really bad for the guy. He seems like a lovely dude. My dad is a proud veteran. My family has so many proud veterans. He does a lot for that. So I respect the guy massively. But I was ready for a dogfight. I was prepared to die in there tonight, and I got a W doing that.”
Trainer on his proposal in the cage
“Holly – she is my person. She is everything to me. I’ve been wanting to do it for the past year. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to do it. None of her friends date an MMA fighter. I can’t afford to take her to St. Tropez. So I thought, hey, live TV or Showtime in a bloody steel cage. That girl is everything. I’m going to make her a very happy husband and I’m going to put some babies in her soon. She’s the love of my life.”
Trainer on what he wants next
“I’m not going to go into the detail, but my family is going through a lot right now. We’ve got a big battle coming up, and I’m going to be there 100 percent for my family, with my family side-by-side, back-to-back. That is the only thing I care about right now. Rankings – whatever. They could offer me (light heavyweight champion Vadim) Nemkov next week and I’d say no because I’ve got to be there for my family. Once that’s all done, once God has helped us with that, it’s on to the next.
“I’m in no rush. I’ll tell you what’s next. I’ll tell you what I want next. Once I’ve handled my business outside the cage, Simon Biyong, you are a savage. You are the only person to defeat me. Nothing but respect, but I want you. I want to rematch, whether we do it in bloody Scandinavia, the North Pole, or back at The O2 (in London), I do not care. I want that rematch. Whether that’s next or not, I don’t care. I want it. And then whoever else, let’s go. I respect everyone. I come prepared for everyone. Everyone is a threat, and that is why I’m going to win – because I prepare.”
To hear more from Trainer, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.
