England's Aaron Chalmers (4-0) has got off to an impeccable start in his professional fighting career having finished all four opponents in the first round with style points to boot. Not bad for a 31-year-old who only took up MMA little over 18 months ago. A contract dispute between Chalmers and former employer BAMMA halted the momentum he'd built up this year but that's firmly in his rearview and he couldn't be happier about it.
"I'm over the moon to be honest because it was a very long-winded process," Chalmers told ESPN. "BAMMA were just being spiteful to be honest. To eventually get it squashed and to move on to the next stage of my career with Bellator is literally a dream come true."
"For the amount of time that BAMMA held it off, I thought we were going to see it out until the death, but they didn't really have a case hence why they dropped it. It was just a big relief off my shoulders because my career was going well. We had 3 fights in the first year and we were looking to do the same in the second year. Obviously, that came to an immediate stop with BAMMA but now we're just looking to pick up from where we left off with Bellator, with another win on the cards in Newcastle."
Chalmers is scheduled to fight in the co-main event for Bellator's show on Feb. 9 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England. While Chalmers will most likely be responsible for shifting most of the tickets and getting the lions share of the media attention for this event, the first of Bellator's new UK, Ireland and Western Europe fight series, he's happy with his position on the card.
"By the time I fight, I would've been out of action for around nine months so to ease the pressure it just helps," Chalmers explained. "To get the nerves now, I mean, it's my hometown so normally you here 50-50 or 60-40, in terms of boos or whatever but in Newcastle, I very much doubt I'll hear any boos whatsoever with the crowd that's going to be there. Just like the last time I fought in Newcastle, the atmosphere will be absolutely electric."
On his last outing the former welterweight fought at a catchweight of 163 pounds. That was a strategic move to gradually move down in weight and get ready to fight at 155lbs, where he feels as though he can maximize his competitive potential moving forward. "I'm moving down to lightweight and everything is going so well," Chalmers explained. "I can't complain and we're still nine weeks out and I've been grafting, constantly, in camp mode, for the last ten weeks. As soon as I heard a whisper that it was Newcastle, it was just time to up my game and then when it became reality, I just became fully focused on that. I'll be raring to go." "I did the test cut last time and I felt fine. I weighed myself last Friday and I am well under weight. Everything is coming off in the right places. I'm lean, I've got a nutritionist, my diet's perfect, my girlfriend does all my food, everything is weighed so we're very well prepared for this one."
At the time of writing, Chalmers opponent is yet to be confirmed but the Geordie native has an idea of who it might be.
"I've been told it's going to be Corey Browning (4-2) who beat 'Baby Slice'. There was a lot of talk about me fighting 'Baby Slice' but he just lost to Corey Browning, so it makes sense for me to fight Corey because it'll show me where I'm at."
Whereas most fighters are looking to climb the ladder to a title fight as soon as possible, Chalmers is very frank with his career and his progression as a mixed martial artist.
"I'm quite honest about my career," he said. "Some people say they want a title shot, knowing they're not ready. I know I'm not going to be ready in the next 2 years. In the next 5 years, that's something we can talk about. In the next two years, maybe not. I'll be working my way up there, but I won't be taking a title shot, I don't think I'll be ready. These title holders have been training for fifteen years solid. I've only been training a year and a half. Give us a good four or five years and I reckon, if I keep improving then yeah, why not?"
One area in which Chalmers could be is a massive help to Bellator in is their growth and brand awareness in the UK, now more than ever, as the promotion is getting ready to commit to a high volume of events in the market.
"I could be a massive help," Chalmers explained. "I'm quite privileged to come from the background that I come from, with Geordie Shore and the fanbase that's got. You could put me on a card in any city or country around Europe and I guarantee it, you'll get a f-ing huge crowd. Half of them probably wouldn't be MMA fans but half of them would be Geordie Shore fans and that's putting bums on seats whether that's MMA fans or not."