Mike Richman Turned Down Bellator Title Shot After KO Win Over Nam Phan

Mike Richman is gunning for another knockout at Bellator 137. | Photo: Dave Mandel/Sherdog.comFor a little while, it looked as though Mike Richman’s decision to stay active -- rather than wait for a title shot -- was going to come back to haunt him.

Richman’s 46-second technical knockout of Nam Phan last November impressed Bellator MMA brass enough to offer the 29-year-old Minnesota native the next bantamweight championship bout. All he had to do was wait. But, after a glance at the promotion’s calendar, “The Marine” realized he could not afford to take that route.

“To be honest, they told me after the Nam Phan fight if I wanted to fight for the title, I could have the title match,” Richman…