Bellator middleweight Dalton Rosta returns to action for the third time in 2022 at Bellator 289, looking to close out his year with another dominant performance.
Rosta (7-0) is paired with Anthony Adams and in this case is struggling down the rankings. Adams sits at #10, while Rosta himself is ranked #5 in Bellator’s middleweight division. But in this case, it was simply a matter of staying active for Hercules – and in part because of opponents who said no.
“They tried to do a fight with John Salter, I don’t know what happened with that, but it didn’t happen. And then they tried to compare me to Imamshafi Aliyev, who ended up fighting on the November card [Bellator 288]. He said no,” Rosta told Cageside Press during Bellator 289 media day this week. “So there are so many people to choose from.”
“If you look at the rest of the top 10, some of them had fights right before that that they didn’t get to fight because of the weather. Number seven is Austin [Vanderford], my teammate. I don’t want to fight him unless it’s for a title fight. I already beat Romero Cotton, Lorenz Larkin went down to 170. So that’s the highest ranked guy that was willing to take the fight.”
Speaking of teammates, as Rosta continues to climb the 185lb ladder, he may eventually cross paths with another teammate: middleweight champion Johnny Eblen. So far, there is no set process for how they would do when facing each other, in terms of angles, coaches, gym time, etc.
However, that is an issue for another day. A first for Rosta is a strong close of the year. The fight with Adams is as important as any other, as Rosta explained, given that “my whole goal in this sport is to be the best in the world and that’s regardless of the promotion. The first step will be to earn a shot at the title, then win it and continue to defend it. This fight, like any other, is very, very important.”
As for Adams, Dalton Rosta sees “a good fighter, a good hitter. He mixes it up here and there. Heavy striking game. That’s what he’s counting on. He is an athletic, quick hitter. He likes to throw one outside kick a lot at a time.” But while Rosta is willing to give Adams his due as a good fighter, “at the end of the day, I think I’m level above him,” he added, “and I plan to go into cage on Friday and prove it.”
Dalton Rosta faces Anthony Adams at Bellator 289 this Friday, December 9, 2022 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT.