Maiquel Falcao: I’m Going to Hurt Andreas Spang Badly, Teach Him How to Behave
Shoving Maiquel Falcao is not an act most men would attempt, but Andreas Spang had no reservations about putting his hands on “Big Rig” last month.
After both men emerged victorious from their middleweight tournament semifinals at Bellator 66, they were to face off in the center of the cage. Instead, Spang -- who had shoved opponent Brian Rogers at the weigh-ins the day before -- proceeded to plant both hands in the center of Falcao’s chest and push him backward. A skirmish ensued, but it was broken up by Bellator officials before either man could do any damage.
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“I feel like Andreas Spang disrespected me when he pushed me,” Falcao recently told Sherdog.com. “That kind of attitude is very disrespectful and should not be done by any professional fighter. A professional fighter does what he has to do inside the cage. That’s what I will show him. I will push him, pull him, punch, knee, elbow, kick him and knock him clean out, but all inside the cage.”
According to Falcao, Spang has provided some extra incentive to get
the job done. While the 31-year-old regarded his quarterfinal and
semifinal contests with Norman
Paraisy and Vyacheslav
Vasilevsky as strictly business, he looks at his upcoming bout
with the “Sweet Swede” as a personal affair.
“I’m going in there to hurt him badly and to teach him how to behave. After this fight, he will never push anyone again. It’s time for someone to teach him some manners, and I will be the teacher,” said Falcao. “Andreas made this fight personal when he pushed me. That Bellator cage is my home, and nobody is going to push me in my home. Andreas better be ready to suffer.”
In the semifinals, Spang made a statement by replacing injured Bruno Santos and knocking out powerful middleweight Rogers on just a few days’ notice. Despite witnessing Spang’s one-punch power, Falcao says he was not impressed by the Swede’s performance against Rogers.
“I just saw a guy getting smashed for seven minutes before landing a lucky shot,” said Falcao. “He was lucky against Rogers, but it won’t happen again. I can knock him out, tap him or punish him badly for 15 minutes, but I don’t see him lasting that long. It will not be a battle at all. It will be me punishing Spang, and Spang running around, trying to survive and land a left hook. It will be a bad, bad night for him.”
Like his opponent, Falcao stands just one victory away from facing Alexander Shlemenko for Bellator’s vacant 185-pound world title, a prospect Falcao predictably finds appealing. However, the Brazilian puncher says that he is focused solely on Spang and the Season 6 final at the moment.
“Having the title wrapped around my waist would be the best thing that ever happened to me. I love Bellator, and I love the way they treat me. I want to be part of Bellator until the day I decide to retire,” said Falcao. “Right now, I’m not even thinking about Shlemenko. All I’m thinking about is knocking Spang out. After I win this tournament, I will start thinking about Shlemenko, but not until I take care of some unfinished business first.”
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