Michael "the Marine" Richman

One of Minnesota’s top featherweights will make his Bellator debut on April 6, as Mike “The Marine” Richman has booked a date with IFL and WEC vet Chris Horodecki at Bellator 64 in Windsor, Ont. Richman’s management team at Sterling Entertainment Group announced the fight on Friday. “The Marine” made the cast of The Ultimate Fighter’s 12th season as a lightweight in 2010, but lost a two round decision to Aaron Wilkinson in the opening round and didn’t make it into the house. In his professional career, he’s compiled an 11-1 record, with the sole loss coming by split decision.

Now fighting out of The Academy outside of Minneapolis, Richman has picked up ten of his career wins via TKO or submission.

“Mike Richman only wanted to fight the best, he did not want any gifts or handouts,” SEG’s Jeremy Bjornberg told MMATorch. “When he was informed that Horodecki was a potential option, he demanded I do my best to get it done, just the kind of fighter he is. Since he has moved to The Academy he has become a whole different animal and we are excited to show the world April 6.”

Horodecki is a longtime veteran of the sport, despite only being 24-years old. He went 2-2 in his four fights in the WEC, but after a loss to Donald Cerrone on the final WEC card he was not brought into the UFC. He has appeared twice in Bellator, most recently fighting to a majority draw against Mike Corey last November.

Penick’s Analysis: I’ve had the chance to see Richman a few times locally in Minnesota, and as a featherweight he can be a serious threat in Bellator. Horodecki is a major, major fight for him, and a definite step up in competition; but as Bjornberg said, these are the types of challenges he wants. Win or lose here, Richman’s not shying away from a fight, and a big performance against Horodecki could be a statement for him in one of Bellator’s very best divisions. This is a great fight, and though it will likely be on the Spike.com portion of the card, it’s a massive opportunity for Richman.

There have been some bumps and bruises during Mike “The Marine” Richman’s path to the big time. But when the call finally came, it was all been worth it. Richman, who made it unto season No. 12 of “The Ultimate Fighter” but was eliminated before making it into the house, received the call from Bellator in December. And now the Minnesota Martial Arts Academy standout is waiting and working hard in preparation for his upcoming Bellator debut. In November, Richman improved to 11-1 as a professional with his unanimous-decision win over Morgan Sickinger during Downtown Showdown I at the Minneapolis Hyatt. Richman, who is ranked No. 3 in Minnesota at 145, is unsure when his Bellator debut will take place, but he anticipates he’ll be fighting for the national organization in March or April.

So Mike, first off, thanks for the time. What’s the situation currently with Bellator?

RICHMAN: Well, I signed with them about a month ago, in early December, about a week and a half after my last fight. They were originally going to try to get me into the March featherweight tournament. But a guy who said he wasn’t in came back to them and said he was in, so they bumped me back to the September

featherweight tournament. I’ll also have two undercard fights until then. The tournament seat is basically mine; it’s there for me to lose. But it’s mine if I win the two undercard fights for sure.

When will your first fight be?

RICHMAN: Well, I’ve got two tentative dates. One of them would be March 30 in Connecticut, and then the other date we’re looking at is April 5 in London, Ontario, Canada. I don’t really care on the date. The one on April 5 would be a higher-profile fight against someone with a name. I can’t say, but it’s a well-known name in the MMA community. Most fans will know the name.

But taking a fight like that would be dangerous with a tournament spot on the line, correct?

RICHMAN: It is a very dangerous fight. But there’s something about where I’m at right now and about this guy, that I feel like I can beat him. I feel like it’s a good matchup for me. It would be a huge win. You know, I could take the road of having two easy fights, taking on local talent or whatever and take the easy way into the tournament. But there’s something about this fight that really entices me. It’s not official yet, and we haven’t made any real decision. It’s something I’ll have to decide with my managers.

You went the distance with Morgan Sickinger. Was that fight tougher than expected?

RICHMAN: Yeah, I would say it was a little tougher than I thought. I thought I’d be able to finish him. I didn’t get into a rhythm as much as I wanted to, as far as my standup goes. I actually thought he’d be a lot better wrestler. But I definitely wanted to put him away, and I wasn’t able to do that. He kept flopping, and I think I got too comfortable.

How close was the kneebar/heel hook he had? You looked like you might tap.

RICHMAN: It really wasn’t that tight; I think people thought it was tighter than it was because of the faces I was making. But I actually just had my heel on his ass, and I was trying to push myself free. That’s why I was making those faces. The heel hook was not tight at all; I’d say he had a better shot at the knee bar, but by the time he went for that, I was already slipping out. So no, I just think people thought it was tight because of my facial expressions, but I was not close to tapping.

You went up a weight class in your attempt to make it into the house on “The Ultimate Fighter” competing on the 155-pound season. Was that whole experience frustrating? And would you do it again?

RICHMAN: It was super frustrating for me. For one, it made me realize I should not be at 155. I knew that going in, but it was one of those things that I was like F it, I wanted to try out anyway. The other thing I really learned was that I wasn’t ready for that kind of adrenaline dump. The pressure, the nerves, I don’t think I was ready for it. It’s so much different fighting in that area. It’s dead quiet, and all the other fighters are watching, along with Dana (White), GSP, (Josh) Koscheck. It was frustrating, but it was an eye-opener. I definitely wasn’t able to watch some TUF episodes for a while after that. It’s still hard for me to watch it sometimes. … As far as if I’d do it again, I think I got a sweet deal right now with Bellator, so I wouldn’t do it at this point. Maybe down the road, if I didn’t have as good a deal as I do now. I’d do it, but it would have to be at featherweight for sure.

You’re pretty much done with the local scene for now. Is that sad or were you ready to move on?

RICHMAN: I was ready to move on. It’s a little sad, but only for the friends and family who like to come see me fight, and the local fans. Those people won’t be able to see me. But this is what I’ve been working for; it’s what we’re all working for, to one day get out of the local scene.

How much has being at The Academy improved your game?

RICHMAN: It’s just huge. I’ve said it over and over, but I wish I would have started my career there. It was such an eye-opener grappling, going every day with these high-level guys. I know I wouldn’t be where I’m at now without being at The Academy. I actually just posted something on Facebook about this, but basically, I really believe if a Minnesota fighter wants to take fighting seriously, they have to train there. It’s where you have to be. Greg Nelson is an amazing coach, and the people I train with elevate my game every day.

Were you humbled when you first came to The Academy?

RICHMAN: Well, that first day of sparring, I felt fine. I was really comfortable. Then the first day of grappling it was VERY humbling. I ran the gauntlet of guys, and I remember thinking afterward, ‘Did that just really happen to me?’ Yeah, it was very humbling.

Pat Barry just picked up a big win over the weekend. He’s another Academy guy. Is it cool seeing teammates making it in the UFC?

RICHMAN: Yeah man, it’s really cool. It’s like, those are the guys I train with every day, the guys I see in the gym every day. It’s still a little weird really seeing those guys on TV. Guys like Volkmann, Lentz and now Sherk is coming back, you want in to class, and those are the guys you see. So watching them do it in the UFC, it’s pretty cool. And it’s not just those guys in there. You’ve got so many other amazing guys to go with.

So who’s the next guy to make it big time from The Academy?

RICHMAN: Well, I think you have to look at Rich Taylor for sure. He’s got to be salty seeing a guy like (Pat) Schilling get into the UFC, when Rich has been around longer and won bigger fights. I definitely think he’ll be fighting at the next level soon.

You’re out of the local scene; is there anybody you’re disappointed you didn’t fight while you were here or anybody you’d like to take on some day down the road, if you’re ever fighting back here again?

RICHMAN: I always wanted to fight Mitch Jackson. It’s not because I don’t like him; I don’t know him. I just want the challenge, and I want to take on a guy who’s considered No. 1 in the state. Why wouldn’t you want that? I heard he’s going to 135, though. I’m sure he’s going to be a monster at 135. I always thought me and Courtney Buck would have been a fun fight. That one could always happen some day. Maybe the Mitch thing could happen, too. Maybe he’ll sign with Bellator. … Honestly I want to see all the Minnesota fighters be successful and do well at the next level.

Speaking of the next level, we’ve seen several Minnesota fighters get the call recently to big-time promotions like Bellator and the UFC. But they haven’t done well when they’ve had a chance on the big stage. Do you worry that some day that might cost future Minnesota fighters a chance? In other words, is there a chance big-time promotions will pass on Minnesota fighters because of past failures?

RICHMAN: I suppose that’s a possibility. I personally don’t think everyone has been ready when they’ve gotten there; some of them must just have super sweet managers. Seriously. … Honestly, it’s a similar thing in the Minnesota boxing scene, too. It’s the same concept going on there. We get that same stereotype. But there is still a list of Minnesota fighters doing well at that level, like Volkmann and Lentz. Yes, some guys haven’t lived up to it, and it’s disappointing. I don’t know what to say other than that.

Speaking of managers, your manager put you in a tough spot before your last fight. He informed you that if you won, you’d be getting the call from Bellator. Did you like that pressure or did you want to take his head off?

RICHMAN: It was kind of mixed. At first, I was like, what the hell. That is a lot of pressure. But I kind of liked it in the long run. It was good and bad. It was definitely an interesting spot to be in, but I kind of like the pressure.

Who would you like to thank?

RICHMAN: Well, I definitely want to thank Jeremy and Drew from SEG. I’d like to thank all of my sponsors, my friends, my family, all my teammates at The Academy, Greg Nelson and all the instructors there as well. I definitely need to thank my wife for putting up with all my shit, same thing with all of my family. … To all my fans, it’s time for me to go and whoop some ass. I gotta prove it, too. I know I haven’t fought that many tough dudes; I’m aware of that. But now’s the time to prove it. I want tough fights. I’m ready to put it on the line.