Bellator 214’s Juan Archuleta Says Teammate’s TJ Dillashaw’s Recent Loss Impacted Him

Juan Archuleta steps foot in the Bellator cage again this weekend at Bellator 214, facing Ricky Bandejas in a bantamweight division attraction.

The bantamweight contender feel that same way about the fight that Bandejas does, in which the winner is the top contender to the bantamweight title.

“I wouldn’t say so much that its a coming out party, as it is more of the number one contenders spot for 135. I’m here to make that noise and we’re gonna make it happen, my team and I. It’s gonna be beautiful,” says Archuleta in an interview with Fightful’s James Lynch.

Archuleta and Bandejas have a combined 32-2-0 record as professional MMA fighters, with none of their losses coming in Bellator competition.

UFC Bantamweight Champion TJ Dillashaw is a teammate of Archuleta’s and even he was affected by Dillashaw’s loss at UFC Fight Night Brooklyn.

“Of course, that’s my best friend and to see something like that happen to him was very unfortunate. As an athlete, when you see that and you see your best friend lose…it’s like it feels like you lost. It’s a stab in the heart, luckily for me…I get to jump in and rebound right away. For him, he has to sit and wait for a little bit so he can get his rebound. But for me, I get to bounce back and go in there and get the win back,” says Archuleta.

Bellator 214 takes place on Saturday, January 26 from The Forum in Inglewood, California with Ryan Bader and Fedor Emelianenko headlining. Fightful is providing live coverage of the event, which airs live on the Paramount Network.