Though it’s rare at the top levels, Brandon Halsey's one of those fighters to win a title before fully making a name for himself. Yet his 35-second submission finish of Alexander Shlemenko at Bellator 126 -- after winning the Season 10 middleweight tournament very quietly under the old Bellator structure -- was enough to raise a few eyebrows.
How far can the former collegiate wrestler at Cal State Bakersfield go in this sport? Into the history books, to hear him tell it.
"I want to leave a mark -- it’s not just about fighting, it’s leaving a mark on MMA," he told MMA Fighting.