Richman, nicknamed “The Marine,” now makes his Bellator debut with an 11-1 record that includes 10 stoppage victories. Fans may remember Richman from a short stint on “The Ultimate Fighter 12,” where he suffered an elimination-round loss to Aaron Wilkinson.

The official Bellator 64 card includes:

MAIN CARD (MTV2)

Champ Ben Askren vs. Douglas Lima – for welterweight title

Alexandre Bezerra vs. Marlon Sandro – featherweight tourney semifinal

Travis Marx vs. Masakatsu Ueda – bantamweight tourney quarterfinal

Rodrigo Lima vs. Hiroshi Nakamura – bantamweight tourney quarterfinal

PRELIMINARY CARD (Spike.com)

Chris Horodecki vs. Mike Richman

Matt Secor vs. Nordine Taleb

Rich Lictawa vs. Elias Theodorou

Kyle Prepolec vs. Lance Snow

Chad Laprise vs. Josh Taveirne

Jason Fischer vs. Taylor Solomon

Now fighting out of The Academy outside of Minneapolis, Richman has picked up ten of his career wins via TKO or submission.

“Mike Richman only wanted to fight the best, he did not want any gifts or handouts,” SEG’s Jeremy Bjornberg told MMATorch. “When he was informed that Horodecki was a potential option, he demanded I do my best to get it done, just the kind of fighter he is. Since he has moved to The Academy he has become a whole different animal and we are excited to show the world April 6.”

Horodecki is a longtime veteran of the sport, despite only being 24-years old. He went 2-2 in his four fights in the WEC, but after a loss to Donald Cerrone on the final WEC card he was not brought into the UFC. He has appeared twice in Bellator, most recently fighting to a majority draw against Mike Corey last November.

Penick’s Analysis: I’ve had the chance to see Richman a few times locally in Minnesota, and as a featherweight he can be a serious threat in Bellator. Horodecki is a major, major fight for him, and a definite step up in competition; but as Bjornberg said, these are the types of challenges he wants. Win or lose here, Richman’s not shying away from a fight, and a big performance against Horodecki could be a statement for him in one of Bellator’s very best divisions. This is a great fight, and though it will likely be on the Spike.com portion of the card, it’s a massive opportunity for Richman.

So Mike, first off, thanks for the time. What’s the situation currently with Bellator?

RICHMAN: Well, I signed with them about a month ago, in early December, about a week and a half after my last fight. They were originally going to try to get me into the March featherweight tournament. But a guy who said he wasn’t in came back to them and said he was in, so they bumped me back to the September

featherweight tournament. I’ll also have two undercard fights until then. The tournament seat is basically mine; it’s there for me to lose. But it’s mine if I win the two undercard fights for sure.

When will your first fight be?

RICHMAN: Well, I’ve got two tentative dates. One of them would be March 30 in Connecticut, and then the other date we’re looking at is April 5 in London, Ontario, Canada. I don’t really care on the date. The one on April 5 would be a higher-profile fight against someone with a name. I can’t say, but it’s a well-known name in the MMA community. Most fans will know the name.

But taking a fight like that would be dangerous with a tournament spot on the line, correct?

RICHMAN: It is a very dangerous fight. But there’s something about where I’m at right now and about this guy, that I feel like I can beat him. I feel like it’s a good matchup for me. It would be a huge win. You know, I could take the road of having two easy fights, taking on local talent or whatever and take the easy way into the tournament. But there’s something about this fight that really entices me. It’s not official yet, and we haven’t made any real decision. It’s something I’ll have to decide with my managers.

You went the distance with Morgan Sickinger. Was that fight tougher than expected?

RICHMAN: Yeah, I would say it was a little tougher than I thought. I thought I’d be able to finish him. I didn’t get into a rhythm as much as I wanted to, as far as my standup goes. I actually thought he’d be a lot better wrestler. But I definitely wanted to put him away, and I wasn’t able to do that. He kept flopping, and I think I got too comfortable.

How close was the kneebar/heel hook he had? You looked like you might tap.

RICHMAN: It really wasn’t that tight; I think people thought it was tighter than it was because of the faces I was making. But I actually just had my heel on his ass, and I was trying to push myself free. That’s why I was making those faces. The heel hook was not tight at all; I’d say he had a better shot at the knee bar, but by the time he went for that, I was already slipping out. So no, I just think people thought it was tight because of my facial expressions, but I was not close to tapping.

You went up a weight class in your attempt to make it into the house on “The Ultimate Fighter” competing on the 155-pound season. Was that whole experience frustrating? And would you do it again?

RICHMAN: It was super frustrating for me. For one, it made me realize I should not be at 155. I knew that going in, but it was one of those things that I was like F it, I wanted to try out anyway. The other thing I really learned was that I wasn’t ready for that kind of adrenaline dump. The pressure, the nerves, I don’t think I was ready for it. It’s so much different fighting in that area. It’s dead quiet, and all the other fighters are watching, along with Dana (White), GSP, (Josh) Koscheck. It was frustrating, but it was an eye-opener. I definitely wasn’t able to watch some TUF episodes for a while after that. It’s still hard for me to watch it sometimes. … As far as if I’d do it again, I think I got a sweet deal right now with Bellator, so I wouldn’t do it at this point. Maybe down the road, if I didn’t have as good a deal as I do now. I’d do it, but it would have to be at featherweight for sure.

You’re pretty much done with the local scene for now. Is that sad or were you ready to move on?

RICHMAN: I was ready to move on. It’s a little sad, but only for the friends and family who like to come see me fight, and the local fans. Those people won’t be able to see me. But this is what I’ve been working for; it’s what we’re all working for, to one day get out of the local scene.

How much has being at The Academy improved your game?

RICHMAN: It’s just huge. I’ve said it over and over, but I wish I would have started my career there. It was such an eye-opener grappling, going every day with these high-level guys. I know I wouldn’t be where I’m at now without being at The Academy. I actually just posted something on Facebook about this, but basically, I really believe if a Minnesota fighter wants to take fighting seriously, they have to train there. It’s where you have to be. Greg Nelson is an amazing coach, and the people I train with elevate my game every day.

Were you humbled when you first came to The Academy?

RICHMAN: Well, that first day of sparring, I felt fine. I was really comfortable. Then the first day of grappling it was VERY humbling. I ran the gauntlet of guys, and I remember thinking afterward, ‘Did that just really happen to me?’ Yeah, it was very humbling.

Pat Barry just picked up a big win over the weekend. He’s another Academy guy. Is it cool seeing teammates making it in the UFC?

RICHMAN: Yeah man, it’s really cool. It’s like, those are the guys I train with every day, the guys I see in the gym every day. It’s still a little weird really seeing those guys on TV. Guys like Volkmann, Lentz and now Sherk is coming back, you want in to class, and those are the guys you see. So watching them do it in the UFC, it’s pretty cool. And it’s not just those guys in there. You’ve got so many other amazing guys to go with.

So who’s the next guy to make it big time from The Academy?

RICHMAN: Well, I think you have to look at Rich Taylor for sure. He’s got to be salty seeing a guy like (Pat) Schilling get into the UFC, when Rich has been around longer and won bigger fights. I definitely think he’ll be fighting at the next level soon.

You’re out of the local scene; is there anybody you’re disappointed you didn’t fight while you were here or anybody you’d like to take on some day down the road, if you’re ever fighting back here again?

RICHMAN: I always wanted to fight Mitch Jackson. It’s not because I don’t like him; I don’t know him. I just want the challenge, and I want to take on a guy who’s considered No. 1 in the state. Why wouldn’t you want that? I heard he’s going to 135, though. I’m sure he’s going to be a monster at 135. I always thought me and Courtney Buck would have been a fun fight. That one could always happen some day. Maybe the Mitch thing could happen, too. Maybe he’ll sign with Bellator. … Honestly I want to see all the Minnesota fighters be successful and do well at the next level.

Speaking of the next level, we’ve seen several Minnesota fighters get the call recently to big-time promotions like Bellator and the UFC. But they haven’t done well when they’ve had a chance on the big stage. Do you worry that some day that might cost future Minnesota fighters a chance? In other words, is there a chance big-time promotions will pass on Minnesota fighters because of past failures?

RICHMAN: I suppose that’s a possibility. I personally don’t think everyone has been ready when they’ve gotten there; some of them must just have super sweet managers. Seriously. … Honestly, it’s a similar thing in the Minnesota boxing scene, too. It’s the same concept going on there. We get that same stereotype. But there is still a list of Minnesota fighters doing well at that level, like Volkmann and Lentz. Yes, some guys haven’t lived up to it, and it’s disappointing. I don’t know what to say other than that.

Speaking of managers, your manager put you in a tough spot before your last fight. He informed you that if you won, you’d be getting the call from Bellator. Did you like that pressure or did you want to take his head off?

RICHMAN: It was kind of mixed. At first, I was like, what the hell. That is a lot of pressure. But I kind of liked it in the long run. It was good and bad. It was definitely an interesting spot to be in, but I kind of like the pressure.

Who would you like to thank?

RICHMAN: Well, I definitely want to thank Jeremy and Drew from SEG. I’d like to thank all of my sponsors, my friends, my family, all my teammates at The Academy, Greg Nelson and all the instructors there as well. I definitely need to thank my wife for putting up with all my shit, same thing with all of my family. … To all my fans, it’s time for me to go and whoop some ass. I gotta prove it, too. I know I haven’t fought that many tough dudes; I’m aware of that. But now’s the time to prove it. I want tough fights. I’m ready to put it on the line.

Michael Richman (10-1) vs Morgan Sickinger (9-3) 145 LBS.

Richman is set to fight Wisconsin native Morgan Sickinger in a featherweight bout. He has been training extensively for a fight on this night and has been very happy with his new team at The Academy [formerly known as Minnesota Martial Arts Academy] in Brooklyn Center, MN.

“I’m training with the best of the best, which has totally elevated my game,” Richman told me regarding his new team. “I feel if I would’ve started my career training here, I would be 11-0, not 10-1. That’s how strongly I feel about training at The Academy.”

The level of competition at the gym is fierce. With numerous veterans of the sport all training together, Richman has benefited from finally being able to work with the top-level fighters.

“You don’t get any better than training with Jacob Volkmann, Nik Lentz, Sean Sherk, Paul Bradley and all the other upcoming prospects that you will be seeing on TV,” he said.

Another one of Richman’s training partners, Brandon Girtz, will also be competing on Saturday night’s fight card as he battles in the main event against former Strikeforce veteran Eric Wisely.

“I haven’t been training there even a year. I’d say about six months. I feel like I’ve elevated my game tremendously in that time and a lot of that has to do with the guys I train with,” he credited his team. “You can’t fly with the eagles if you’re hanging out with the crows.”

Perhaps it is this philosophy that will help propel Richman into stardom in 2012. Before he even joined The Academy, the now 26-year-old former Marine had already competed for a spot on season 12 of the hit UFC television show The Ultimate Fighter. Unfortunately, those plans were spoiled when he lost his final fight, ending his chances to be on the weekly show as he was one of the final round of eliminations.

“It was kind of frustrating for me,” Richman admitted. “I felt like I underperformed and it’s one of those things where it was at 155, so it wasn’t my weight class, but I wanted to try out anyway. I just underperformed. I lost a decision to Aaron Wilkinson and it was just a sh–ty situation for me. I’m trying to rally back and hopefully Dana White will give me a chance to fight for them in the future.”

He will attempt to keep the rally going on Saturday night when he faces off against “Captain” Morgan Sickinger, who took the fight on only about a week’s notice when Richman’s previous opponent, Josh Kasee, had to drop out do to an injury.

“The Marine” expects this new fight to be an interesting contrast of styles.

“[Sickinger] is more of a wrestling-grappler while [Kasee] was more of a striker. So it’s a little switch of styles, but I feel like in order to really show how good you are in this sport, you’ve got to be able to take on wrestlers and grapplers,” Richman explained. “I like to stand and I like to fight, but I feel like I can take [Sickinger] down, I can stuff his takedowns. I work with better wrestlers than he’s working with, so I’m taking that mindset into the cage.”

A win would move Richman one step closer to his eventual goal of performing in front of a much larger audience. But surprisingly, while he was only one win away from having a career-changing experience on The Ultimate Fighter, he is not necessarily chomping at the bit to get on the show in the future.

“I’m more or less just looking to get into a straight UFC fight by getting called up to fight on the undercard or something like that,” he said. “If I don’t make it to the UFC by then, maybe the next time they do a featherweight or bantamweight season, maybe I’ll try out again.”

It’s one rung at a time for this former Marine who is focused on moving up the ladder, but his goals are well-defined and to the point. A victory on Saturday night over Sickinger would be a nice feather in the cap of this confident young fighter, but he is confident that the world will be seeing much more of him in the next year.

“In 2012, you’re definitely going to see me in Bellator or the UFC. You’ll see me in a big promotion in 2012 and that’s a guarantee.”

bleacherreport

13twentythree Photography

Michael “The Marine” Richman lost to UK fighter Aaron Wilkinson by decision after three rounds in the first elimination round of Spike TVs “The Ulimate Fighter” Season 12.

About the first loss in his two year mixed martial arts career Mike Richman says, “I feel like I did as good as I could. I would do it again. Over and over again.”

“Don’t count me out, it’s not over. I’m a very passionate fighter, I’ll be back.”

From The Rosemount Townpages

Just two years into his career as a mixed martial arts fighter, Mike Richman is getting the ultimate opportunity to prove he was born to brawl.

Richman, a Rosemount resident and a 2003 graduate of Rosemount High School, was one of 28 lightweight fighters on screen Sept. 15 as Spike TV kicked off the 12th season of The Ultimate Fighter. The reality competition show sets the MMA hopefuls up to live together and train together and asks them to square off week after week for a chance at a six-figure Ultimate Fighting contract.

Richman and the other fighters had to win an opening-round fight in the show’s first episode Wednesday to progress to the rest of the series.

Richman lost that first fight, but he’s still satisfied with what he has accomplished.

“I feel like I did as good as I could,” said the 24-year-old, who has an 8-0 record in matches outside The Ultimate Fighter. “I would do it again. Over and over again.”

For someone so early in his fighting career, even landing a spot on the show was a major accomplishment. Richman said he was thrilled just to have the opportunity to meet George St. Pierre and Josh Koschcheck, the MMA fighters who serve as coaches of the show’s two teams, and Dana White, the president of the UFC.

Richman hasn’t had a lot of formal training, but he’s always believed he was a natural fighter. He was a wrestler growing up, and he loved watching boxing and mixed martial arts competitions. He grew up with heavy bags in the garage of his family’s house.

Some people are born to fight, he said. They just know how to throw a punch.

“I’ve always had that feeling that I had what it took to be a fighter,” he said. “It’s more of a mental attitude. I never really was the kind of guy to get into a lot of fights. Me and my brother always scrapped and were fighting at home, but it’s more of a mentality.”

That fighter’s mentality led Richman to the Marines after he graduated from RHS. He served three combat tours as an infantryman in Iraq.

When he left the Marines in 2008 Richman jumped right into MMA training. He had his first bout just 2 1/2 months in and won, he said, largely on natural talent and determination.

Richman said his time in the Marines helped prepare him for his fighting career.

“It’s different, but the mentality is kind of the same. The toughness,” he said. “The mental toughness is the same. Being a badass in the Marine Corps. and infantry is going to help you be a badass through the tough parts in mixed martial arts.”

Richman tried out for The Ultimate Fighter on a whim. His manager told him the show would focus on lightweights for its upcoming season, so they flew to Charlotte, N.C., where the tryouts were being held. Richman was one of about 300 people who showed up to compete.

The hopefuls went through a number of competitions and evaluations.

“They kind of weed people out,” Richman said. “They want to see how you look on your feet. They’re looking for a mixture of talent and personality.”

The tryouts continued, and Richman kept getting called back for more.

“It was a little surreal after phone calls to come back and do this and do that,” Richman said. “When it all started to come together, it was crazy. It felt good. It felt really good to get where I am after a short time.”

MMA in Minnesota

Mixed martial arts fighting is growing in popularity on the local level. There are two prominent gyms in the Twin Cities that train fighters and promote fights.

There have been fights held at the Myth Nightclub in Maplewood, at the Hyatt in Minneapolis and at the Cedar Street Armory in St. Paul, where most fights are currently held.

“Every fight I’ve done, we’re talking about a 1,500-plus crowd,” Richman said “Having your fans there cheering for you, that’s the best thing. Hearing your name and then having the fans go crazy, it just fires you up.” If things go well on TV, Richman could soon have a whole lot more people cheering.