UFC 230: Brian Kelleher hopes to put first knockout loss in the past
Brian Kelleher, right, fights John Lineker during their UFC bantamweight bout in Rio de Janeiro on May 13. Credit: AP/Leo Correa
The force of a punch can rattle a man’s brain and cause him to lose consciousness. In mixed martial arts and boxing, a knockout is met with celebration and praise for the winner from promoters, fans, media, video editors and fellow fighters.
For the recipient, there’s more than just a physical effect on the brain. There’s the psychological part as well, something Selden’s Brian Kelleher experienced in the months after his last fight.
“It took some time to get over that,” said Kelleher, 32, who last May was knocked out for the first time in his seven-year, 28-fight career. “I had to really try to forget about it. I watched it over and over, and it’s hard to watch. I think that was good for me to kind of just accept it and realize it happens to the best guys out there. You just have to move forward and kind of erase it, just restart and keep that same belief in yourself.”
John Lineker threw a left hook to Kelleher’s jaw late in the third round. It was Lineker's 14th KO.
“It has been difficult, I can’t lie about it,” Kelleher said. “It was a foreign feeling to me. For me, I’ve fought so many times, it’s never happened. I’ve been hit hard. I’ve been in wars, I’ve been in fights with high-level guys where I’ve gotten hit and I just believe in my chin. I believe in my ability to take a shot and get in the pocket and exchange. Nobody hits like John Lineker. That’s the truth.”
Kelleher returns to the octagon Saturday to face Montel Jackson in a UFC 230 prelim bout at Madison Square Garden. It is a chance to re-establish the momentum Kelleher had going after a signature win over former bantamweight champion Renan Barao.
“It’s hard to really accept when things don’t go your way and just move forward and be happy about things in the fight game,” Kelleher said. “When you work so hard for so long, and you manifest things and you visualize and you have to kind of accept that that wasn’t true or that’s not happening right now, it’s a tough thing.”
UFC 230 also gives Kelleher (19-9) a chance to erase any doubts in his mind. He had lost fights before, but never like that. It staggered his bravado and confidence for a bit. Upon his return to training and sparring, Kelleher said he worked from a position of safety. He started slowly and didn’t spar as hard as he did before the loss. Almost two months ago, Kelleher said he “hit a switch” and started training the way he always did. Confidence restored.
Kelleher’s bout with Jackson – which streams on UFC Fight Pass – also presents an opportunity for Kelleher to right a geographical wrong. He lost his first fight at home last summer at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum. This time, he’s at the Garden. Kelleher said he’s not thinking about all that comes with fighting at home and in “the world’s most famous arena.”
His focus is more singular.
“I don’t get too crazy excited about anything outside of wanting to feel the feeling that victory gives,” Kelleher said. “It’s like all the hard work and all the time you put in, it doesn’t feel worth it really unless you get your hand raised. That’s the ultimate high. It’s hard to explain. It just makes everything worth it.”
Mark La Monica is a deputy sports editor at Newsday. He also covers mixed martial arts.
