Marcos Galvao: Mother’s Passing Provides Motivation for Tourney Win at Bellator 68

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Marcos Galvao sure has something to fight for.

Just two weeks prior to entering Bellator’s sixth-season bantamweight tournament, Galvao lost his mother to cancer.

“It was devastating for me,” Galvao recently told Sherdog.com. “Her passing motivated me because she asked me to win this tournament for her. She was always very supportive of my fight career. She would analyze and talk to me about all my fights when I would call home. Her last wish was for me to win this tournament. I have to win it for her.”

In order to accomplish that goal, “Loro” must first get by Jackson’s MMA product Travis Marx, whom he faces in the tournament semifinals tonight at Bellator 68.

“I think Marx is a tough fighter. He looks very strong. However, I wasn't really impressed with his performance in his [quarterfinal] fight against Masakatsu Ueda,” said Galvao, who will face Marx in a matter of hours at Caesars in Atlantic City, N.J. “I feel better and more prepared than ever before heading into this fight with Marx. Not only physically but also mentally. I'm getting better with each and every fight.”

Though Galvao respects his opponent, he speaks confidently when discussing how the fight could unfold. If the Brazilian has his way, Marx will not hear the final bell.

“I definitely believe that I can put Marx away,” said Galvao. “If I get him in the right position on the ground, I feel like I can submit him, and I also have the confidence in my hands that if I hit him clean with the right shot, he's going to go out. [Regardless of] whether I can knock him out or submit him, I've prepared myself for a three round war in this fight.”

Galvao enters the cage following a stellar performance in the quarterfinals against three-time tournament veteran Ed West. Though he could not finish the Season 3 finalist, Galvao outworked his nimble opponent on April 13, consistently beating West to the punch en route to a unanimous nod from the cage-side judges.

That victory now behind him, Galvao looks to succeed where he previously failed in the Season 5 tournament against Alexis Vila. Somewhat tentative in that Oct. 22 contest, the 30-year-old hopes to replicate the steady work rate he used to best West last month at Bellator 65.

“Just like my last fight with West, I will be very aggressive in this fight,” said Galvao. “I will always be pushing the pace and trying to finish for all three rounds. Fans should definitely expect a show.”