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Sullivan Cauley wants top-10 opponents if victorious over Luke Trainer at Bellator 293

Sullivan Cauley thinks it’s time he faces the top names at Bellator if victorious in his return to the cage.

The unbeaten Bellator light heavyweight thinks he’s prime to be facing top-10 opposition, especially if he beats Luke Trainer at Bellator 293. The 205-pound matchup goes down in the opening bout of the Bellator 293 main card, which takes place Friday at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie

“A win over Luke trainer means it’s time to start fighting guys in the top 10,” Cauley told reporters at the Bellator 293 media day on Wednesday. “If you talk to us when we first had the development contract, we were really trying to slow roll it before we jumped to tougher opponents, but when you knock everyone out early, it’s just hard to do that.

“They’ve been pushing me, and that’s good. Luke is a great opponent, and if I beat him, it’s clear that I’m ready for the top 10. It’s time to start fighting guys in the top 10.”

Cauley (5-0 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) has developed all of his fighting career under the Bellator banner. He debuted for the promotion in late 2020 and has since racked up five consecutive first-round finishes. The 36-year-old trains out of Power MMA gym in Arizona with Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader.

You can watch Cauley’s full interview in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 293.



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