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Theocharis answers the Bell in return to the cage

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Tom Theocharis was facing a cement head, and in mixed martial arts that’s not a bad thing.

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Unless, of course, you’re the one doing the striking and your opponent won’t go down, which is what happened in Theocharis’ latest fight.

The 27-year-old from Stratford landed the majority of blows in his bout last weekend against American grappler Brandon Bell, but he came out on the wrong end of the judges’ decision.

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“He wouldn’t go down,” a sore Theocharis said. “He’s a cement head. I hit him with a lot of shots, and I’ve got a lot of respect for him. He brought the best out of me. He gassed me out with his strength and tenacity and relentless wrestling, but I put it all out there for this fight.”

It was Theocharis’ first fight in almost 16 months. He was supposed to step into the cage last February, but COVID-19 kept pushing things back. His bout with Bell was confirmed five months ago, but the initial December date was also delayed.

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The combatants were the co-main event at Saturday’s event in Bowling Green, KY. Theocharis dropped to 4-4 as a professional, but it wasn’t from a lack of training against an opponent ranked No. 1 in Kentucky and Tennessee, and someone who has fought in Bellator — one step below the UFC.

“It’s easier knowing I was able to go in there and compete against such a high-level fighter and did very well,” he said. “There were times I figured the ref might stop the fight.

“That’s kind of what makes it a bit easier to swallow, and I had so much support from friends and family and sponsors.”

Theocharis cut 30 pounds for the 175-pound clash, and during five months of preparation he became a better overall fighter. He used his six-foot-two frame and long limbs to stay on the attack, but the skilled striker wasn’t able to maneuver around the smaller cage like he wanted to against his stalky opponent with a wrestling background.

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“I didn’t feel any ring rust,” he said. “I’ve got 14 MMA fights. This is what I do now.

“I was hungry to fight and compete and move on with my career.”

It’s a journey that started 12 years ago when Theocharis started kickboxing. He quickly realized he wanted to become a professional fighter, so he started training in earnest. His first amateur fight was in 2014 at Detroit’s Joe Louis Arena, and he went 5-1 before turning pro — with each win by way of first-round knockout.

He’d like to fight again in June and then once more before the end of 2021. There’s room for improvement, like getting better on the mat and sharpening his jiu-jitsu skills off his back — two elements that contributed to Saturday’s defeat.

“I can take a lot of positives away from the fight as well as negatives,” he said. “You’re never perfect. I’m always going to be learning and trying to strive for perfection and greatness. Perfection is never going to happen, but you still strive for it. There’s always something to learn.”

cosmith@postmedia.com

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