Recent Bellator Fighting Championships signee Josh Neer (27-9-1 MMA, 0-0 BFC) is looking forward to his recently announced May fight with Eddie Alvarez (19-2 MMA, 3-0 BFC) for a few reasons.
First, with the fight scheduled at 160 pounds, Neer is excited that he won't have to drop the additional five pounds necessary to make the normal lightweight limit.
But as Neer recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio he's even more excited about the prospect of fighting someone who won't look to win via lay-and-pray.
"I don't see [Alvarez] just going to try and take me down and lay on me for three rounds because I don't think that's the type of fighter that he is," Neer said.
If it sounds like a sensitive subject for Neer, it is. A 10-time UFC veteran, Neer recently lost back-to-back decisions to Gleison Tibau and Kurt Pellegrino under the UFC banner and was released by the world's biggest fight promotion.
"The Dentist" admitted he was a bit surprised at the UFC's decision.
"I thought it was kind of unexpected," Neer said. "I figured they were going to at least give me one more fight, but they decided not to. I just wish they would have given me a different opponent. I want to be matched up with exciting fighters.
"I don't want to go into a fight where my whole gameplan is to not get laid on. That's what my last two fights were. I had to prepare to try and submit them because I knew they weren't going to try and fight me. I just want to fight guys that are going to come in and actually fight."
Neer said the August 2009 matchup with Pellegrino was the most bothersome.
"I would say the Pellegrino fight frustrated me the most because I actually thought he was going to stand with me," Neer said. "He kind of called me out in an interview, [asking] if I was man enough to stand with him, then he just lays on me the whole fight. ... I didn't understand it.
"With Tibau, I knew that he was going to do the lay and pray, but with Pellegrino, I thought he was actually going to fight me."
At just 26 years old, Neer is closing in on 40 professional fight. Nevertheless, Neer knows he's still learning, and he believes the losses taught him a valuable lesson.
"I think that if I would have took them down, they would have been in big trouble," Neer said. "I feel like any time you put a wrestler or a guy that wants to be in the top position on his back, he's going to get in trouble.
"I wish that I would have at least took them down one time, but I think a big part of my problem is I'm chasing guys, just constantly going forward. That's how they're baiting me and taking me down. They back up, back up, back up, and then all of a sudden they would shoot in on me. So trying not to chase guys as much is a big thing that I've addressed."
Since being cut by the UFC, Neer has already fought twice in 2010 in smaller organizations. The Iowa resident said he prefers to stay as busy as possible.
"I like a lot of fights," Neer said. "I feel like when I fight all the time, I stay in shape. I like to fight, so I'll fight as often as I can, honestly."
That includes the May "Super Fight" with Alvarez, and Neer also hopes to contend for the Texas-based Shark Fights' title at some point.
But if Neer has his way, he won't be out of the big show forever.
"I think I can definitely come back," Neer said. "I talked to (UFC president) Dana (White) at one of the WEC's. I was at WEC cornering a guy, and I talked to Dana, and he said they definitely want to have me back. I think that if I get a couple of wins, then they'll have me back."
(Pictured: Josh Neer)
