Bellator middleweight Ed Ruth is considered one of the most promising prospects in the sport. The three-time NCAA Division I wrestling champion showed why at Bellator 178.
Ruth dismantled David Mundell (6-3) on the event's undercard Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut, winning by second-round TKO, his third win -- all by TKO -- since his professional debut in November.
Ruth spoke exclusively with ESPN MMA after getting his hand raised.
ESPN: Three fights into your MMA career, how's it going so far?
Ruth: Man, it's going great. Everything has been great. Training has been great. Partners have been great. Management has been great. I have nothing but compliments right now.
ESPN: You don't even look like you got in a fight tonight. How closely did what we see out there reflect your game plan going in?
Ruth: That was pretty much it. I wanted to go in there and find ways to wear that guy down in areas where I'm strong. I wanted to get him to drop his hands a little bit more and dominate the match by making it my pace.
ESPN: What's been the hardest part about the transition to MMA?
Ruth: It's kind of hard to say where there's a hard part, because I enjoy it. When you enjoy something, you don't really see a hard part to it. The only thing that really gets to me about fighting is getting over the nerves, getting over the inexperience, actually being in the cage, putting yourself in situations and getting punched in the face for the first time with four-ounce gloves. I guess that's the hardest part, and then recovering from that and still implementing your own game plan.
ESPN: How did you comfort level in the cage tonight (Friday) compare to your previous two fights?
Ruth: Oh, man. It felt a lot different. I've been working a lot more on my stand-up. I felt more comfortable in my stand-up. I felt more comfortable being in front of the guy, taking him down, transitioning from my takedowns to passing his guard. Everything was flowing a lot more smoothly.
ESPN: You didn't seem like you had that much trouble passing his guard - you had him in full mount maybe three or four different times in the fight. Did you expect to have that much of an advantage on the ground?
Ruth: I do and I don't. I never know what to expect from the guy. I heard that he had a pretty strong jiu-jitsu background. I always want to make a point to take away the guy's strengths. I didn't see it happening that way. I felt I'd be stuck in half-guard for a little while. But I was able to pass it pretty easily.
ESPN: Where do you want to grow the most as a fighter?
Ruth: All around. I don't want to be just a wrestler-fighter. I don't want to be just a boxer-fighter. I want to be a perfect fighter.
ESPN: You've seen other guys with similar high-profile wrestling pedigrees have a lot of success in MMA, both in this promotion and elsewhere. Do you feel any pressure as the one of these guys who's labeled the next great MMA fighter with a wrestling base?
Ruth: No, I don't feel the pressure at all. I expect that out of myself. If I agree with them, I don't really feel pressure.
ESPN: What does the perfect next 12 months look like?
Ruth: No injuries, no outside drama, just training -- getting perfect training weeks in, not taking time off, being in the room and actually traveling around, as well. Getting into different gyms and having sparrers ... not having any concussions or anything. That's the perfect 12 months for me -- and, obviously, all wins in the ring.
ESPN: Who are some MMA veterans who have had an impact on your path, at your camp or elsewhere?
Ruth: I would say Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor, Anderson Silva -- that's a big one, Jose Aldo. Some guys who have phenomenal footwork, like Uriah Hall.
ESPN: Have you had a chance to work with any of those guys?
Ruth: Just DC. I got a chance to work with him, Cain Velasquez, as well. It's important to work with those guys, because, since they're wrestlers, I can see some of that grind that they have behind them. I'm out there throwing hands with them, and I can feel how they're getting their pressure, they're moving their head, they're pushing, they're pressuring me, getting me to back up and then they take shots. All that stuff helps me, because I feel it and I can get it into my muscle memory.