By Chamatkar Sandhu

Bellator 160 is one of the more stacked cards the promotion has put together this year with a healthy mix of veterans and prospects, and Georgi Karakhanyan vs. Bubba Jenkins is a good example of that.

For Karakhanyan, who is coming into this fight off of two back-to-back losses, the pressure is most certainly on for him to get back in the win column.

"I think the pressure is always on," Karakhanyan said. "I am on a two-fight losing streak, but I am ready to take on whoever they put in front of me."

Been there, done that

Jenkins is no stranger to Karakhanyan. He submitted him at Bellator 132 in January of 2015. 

"The fight wasn't that long," said Karakhanyan. "It ended quick, and he went sleepy time. I just feel bad for Bubba, because he's going to be standing in front of me, and I am the one coming off a two-fight losing streak. I'm the one that's really hungry, and just looking to destroy whoever is in front of me."

Since the loss, Jenkins has been on a roll. He won three in a row, but Karakhanyan has not been impressed with his performances or opponents.

"He did win three in a row, but if you look at my record, I've fought a lot of big names," Karakhanyan said. "He's fought bums. I fought Curran, a former champion. I fight names; I'm a real fighter. I don't ask for these bums and try to pad up my record. I know he's looking at me and thinking he's fighting me on a two-fight losing streak, but once we get in that cage, he's going to know who he's dealing with."

Jenkins' Division I pedigree doesn't intimidate Karakhanyan in the slightest. In fact, he's confident Jenkins' background as a NCAA champion will hinder him instead of help him.

"He's still the same fighter," Karakhanyan said. "I know he changed camps, but he's still the same wrestler, and as soon as I punch him in the face, he's going to turn into that Division I wrestler. I'm the perfect recipe to destroy all these wrestlers. The only difference this time is I want to beat him up all three rounds and make him bleed."

Fueled by blood lust

"I'm going to beat him really bad," Karakhanyan said. "He'll look for a way out, but I'm not going to make it that easy. I don't want him to get out that quick—I want him to suffer. I want him to really think about his career and say, 'Is this what MMA's about?' First time, I gave him a learner's lesson. But there's nothing better than beating someone up for all three rounds and making them bleed."

Although the last 18 months have been challenging, the 31-year-old still feels the best is yet to come.

"I'm in my prime as long as I think I'm in my prime," Karakhanyan said. "I think age doesn't matter. The last year and a half, I've been dealing with some serious injuries. I haven't taken any crazy beatings, and I haven't been knocked unconscious and stuff like that, but I feel like I'm in my prime. It's all in your head man."

With Bellator hosting a mix of MMA and kickboxing cards, tent pole events and shows in Europe this year, Karakhanyan is fan of everything President Scott Coker has done since gaining control.

"Scott is a great boss to have, and he's doing a lot of big things," Karakhanyan said. "I was dealing with some injuries last year, and he took care of me. It's good to have someone who's educating about the sport, and he knows about fighters, and he's doing all these crazy shows like kickboxing and MMA together. I'm originally from Russia, so my Russian fan base is really, really big. If they have any shows in Europe, I'm always open."

Beef with SBG lad

Although Karakhanyan is focused on the task at hand, he made sure to point out an issue he has with SBG Ireland's James Gallagher, who successfully debuted for the promotion in London earlier this summer.

"I know there was a kid who was opening his mouth called James Gallagher, the wannabe Conor McGregor, and I heard him call me out," said Karakhanyan. "This kid has like four or five professional fights, so maybe if he gets his record up there, I'd like to go to Ireland or anywhere in England and go beat him up there."

Karakhanyan also said it would take a big paycheck for that to happen.

"If I was him, I'd keep fighting the opponents like the one he fought in London," Karakhanyan said. "I mean it's good to be around people like Conor and get all hyped up. The good thing about MMA is once you step inside that cage, all that hype, all that talking, all that shit goes out the window, and you're going to face someone who's going to try and murder you. You got to have that cocky mindset, but you have to keep it real. So if he wants to fight me, I'm always down, but I want to get paid."