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Cincinnati’s Straus makes Bellator fighting tourney finale

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By Dann Stupp, MMA Insider Updated 12:05 PM Monday, May 9, 2011

Cincinnati-based fighter Daniel Straus is a single win away from $100,000 and a guaranteed title shot with Bellator Fighting Championships.

With recent victories over Nazareno Malegarie and Kenny Foster, the 26-year-old Straus (16-3) now is slated to fight hard-hitting Patricio “Pitbull” Freire (16-1) in a featherweight-tournament finale at Bellator 45.

The event takes place May 21 in Louisiana and airs live on MTV2.

Straus, who trains at Team Vision, joined the tournament on the heels of a 10-fight win streak. If he defeats Freire — the tourney favorite — he gets a title shot with current Bellator champ Joe Warren.

Straus, who’s 15-1 since he opened his pro career with a 1-2 mark, knows most people are predicting a win for Freire. Even he admits the Brazilian probably is better skilled. But that’s also been the key to his steady rise.

“It’s all about the heart, and I’ve got a lot of heart,” Straus said. “There’s so much more I can do and be better at. ... Being that way, that’ll keep me pushing, keep me humble, and keep me looking to improve. That’s what I’ve got in my head.”

Straus — a former high school wrestler who’s dabbled in other sports — sees MMA as his shot to reach greatness. While most competitors fight three times per year, he registered 17 fights in his first 19 months as a pro.

“I’ve had a lot of setbacks in many sports,” said Straus. “I’ve always been there near the top, and I’ve got knocked off. But I want to prove now that I can be there with a lot of great guys.”

EDWARDS LOSES: Although the initial cast had no local ties, “The Ultimate Fighter 13” — the latest season of the UFC’s long-running reality series — recently got some area talent.

Undefeated MMA fighter Justin Edwards (7-0) — a Bellefontaine resident who wrestled at Madison High School and played football at Urbana University — recently joined the 14-member cast as a replacement for Keon Caldwell, who opted to leave the show due to homesickness.

On this past week’s episode, though, Edwards suffered a knockout loss to Tony Ferguson in the opening round of the 16-slot tournament. (The exhibition loss doesn’t count toward his pro record.)

However, the 28-year-old — who trains with Ohio Fitness and Martial Arts Center in Bellefontaine and the JG MMA Academy in West Chester Twp. — may get a spot on the preliminary card of the show’s live June 4 finale.

For now, you can catch Edwards on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Spike TV.

Dann Stupp is editor-in-chief of MMAjunkie.com, voted best media outlet in the 2008, 2009 and 2010 World MMA Awards. For the latest mixed-martial-arts news, go to www.MMAjunkie.com.

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