The MMA world might start looking at Aaron Jeffery as its next hidden gem if he keeps it up.
Jeffery (14-4 MMA, 3-1 BMMA) outworked the previously unbeaten Dalton Rosta (8-1 MMA, 8-1 BMMA) on the Bellator 298 main card this past Friday in Sioux Falls, S.D., for a unanimous decision. Jeffery was nearly a 2-1 underdog to Rosta.
The 30-year-old Canadian got back in the win column after a March loss to former Bellator title challenger John Salter. Before he arrived in Bellator, Jeffery’s only losses were to current UFC standouts Sean Brady, Brendan Allen and Caio Borralho – the latter two of which came in shots at a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series.
But without those DWCS setbacks, Jeffery might not find himself experiencing the kind of success that likely will have him as the promotion’s No. 4 middleweight this week.
“I hope (I’m living up to Bellator’s expectations),” Jeffery said at his post-fight news conference. “I don’t think I’ve lived up to my own expectations yet. I think I can do a lot better than that still. I think I’m maybe starting to get my groove here a little bit. I got a loss out of the way. You never want to lose, but I think having that behind me now, maybe there’s a little bit of pressure…
