Josh Copeland and Ben Rothwell clash at BKFC 41: Perry vs. Rockhold on April 29th.
The fistic fireworks will broadcast on the BKFC TV App and Fite TV with the main card kicking off at 9 PM Eastern time.
Copeland spoke to Dylan Bowker of Bare Knuckle News before the fight. Excerpts from the chat can be found below:
Josh Copeland
You were initially slated to fight on April 29th against Steve Herelius. When did you get word that Ben Rothwell would be the opponent?
“Well, so they originally gave me Steve weeks ago. I’d probably say eight to ten weeks ago. Then, probably about three-four weeks into that, my manager hit me up asking if I would fight Ben Rothwell. I said, ‘absolutely,’ and I’d say that probably went on for about two weeks thinking that I was in on that. Then, they wound up going in a different direction, of course, with (Josh) Watson. So, I was back on with Steve.”
Josh Copeland continued, “Then, last Tuesday night, my manager Brian Butler hit me up and said, ‘Hey, Ben Rothwell’s opponent pulled out. What do you think about fighting Ben?’ I said, ‘Let’s do it.’ So, he asked where my weight was. I was 255 pounds. I usually like to come in around 245 or 250. But, yeah, they said if I want the fight, I got to get up to 270. So instead of dropping another five-ten pounds, I am gaining. So, here we go. I’m eating away.”
Is this a can’t-pass-up sort of opportunity, considering Rothwell’s deep MMA pedigree and how he has become a hotly discussed name in bare-knuckle after his emphatic BKFC debut?
“Correct. Yeah, that’s to me. I’m 40 years old now. I know I’ve still got some fight left in me, but I don’t want to waste my time fighting nobodies. I know that I can compete with some of the best in the world and I do it all the time. I just – yeah – I want to fight some big names and let’s see what I can do.”
BKFC 41
Your BKFC debut was in Denver and this sophomore bare-knuckle bout is in the same arena. How much is that an exciting component for you to be coming back to compete there?
“Yeah, that was huge. I love being able to fight here. It was cool just to see all the fans and all the support I had.”
Josh Copeland continued, “It’s always a catch twenty-two though, right? Don’t get me wrong, you always have pressure on you. No matter where you’re at, people are watching; but, being able to fight in your hometown, and especially being able to come away with a knockout, it’s just cool for me to be able to give back to all my friends and family – put on a good show. All the people that have been there from day one supporting me, it’s cool to put smiles on their faces.”
BKFC
How much of your path is oriented to climbing a title contender hierarchy, considering you’re taking on a top five ranked heavyweight here versus taking on big tests against known names?
“Still feeling good, but I know that my window of opportunity is getting smaller and smaller. So, hey, I would love to be able to climb these ranks and go get that belt of course. So, that’s the goal; and man, I’d just love the opportunity. When I heard that bare-knuckle was coming back to Denver, I reached out to my manager. I got the text, and it was probably twelve weeks ago, saying, ‘Hey…’ Just because I know bare knuckle, I told my manager, “Hey, with a win or two, that could set Josh up for a title shot.”
Josh Copeland continued, “Well, I know if it’s another win, I’m going to have to beat a big name or two. Give me a Levi Costa, then a Steve Herelius, then fight the big name, and then go for the belt. So, when I messaged my manager, I asked him, ‘Hey, what are your thoughts of me getting set up with Ben Rothwell or Greg Hardy to see if we can get that title shot after this?’ That was my intentions from the very beginning, and yeah, hey, it wound up coming through. So, I’m excited.”
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
Rothwell’s BKFC debut was incredibly violent and succinct. It didn’t seem like much to make inferences, game plan-wise, but what were your main takeaways from his bare-knuckle performance?
“Well, same thing. It was over so quick. You know, Ben did a good job of staying long and using his reach, throwing good, hard, fast combinations and the other guy couldn’t take it. So, in saying that, I just know I move different than anyone else. So, that’s the confidence I’ve got going into
this.”
“The way I like to fight is based off of footwork, timing, and angles. When I first started MMA, I never wanted to be just the heavyweight that stood in front of someone and hope mine lands first. To me, that’s anyone’s game, just standing toe to toe and swinging from the hips. The moral of the story
is like – not always the best fighter wins either.”
Josh Copeland continued, “So, I just like to – instead of just taking the chance and hoping mine lands first – I like to set things up and move, create angles and set my shots up, versus just throwing big, long combinations, and yeah, bull rushing.”
