Patience the name of the game for eventual Bellator title hopeful Lance Gibson

LOS ANGELES – Lance Gibson has title aspirations in Bellator. That should come as no surprise, given he’s a professional fighter.

But six fights into his career, he’s realistic about his trajectory so far and his eventual path to a potential shot at the lightweight belt.

“One thing I know about myself is I’m just improving every single time I step in there,” Gibson told MMA Junkie at Thursday’s Bellator 286 media day. “I’m showing new aspects of my game and I’m getting better and better every training session. I’m open to whatever the universe brings me … it’s an honor to be in Bellator and be able to be successful in Bellator and continue winning and continue my undefeated streak.

“I want to eventually be the lightweight champion in Bellator. But at the end of the day, time will tell. I have to be patient. … When my time comes, that’s my time. I’ll be ready.”

Saturday, Gibson (6-0 MMA, 4-0 BMMA) puts his unbeaten record on the line against short-notice replacement opponent Dominic Clark (15-12 MMA, 0-2 BMMA), who stepped in when Diaz Brothers protege Chris Avila pulled out. They fight on the Bellator 286 prelims at Long Beach Arena in Long Beach, Calif. The main card airs on Showtime following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Avila, Gibson acknowledged, would’ve done more for his resume with a win. And he hopes that matchup gets rebooked down the road. But until then, he’s focused on doing what he has to do to get a win over a longtime fighter in Clark.

“It’s a part of the game,” Gibson said. “It’s a part of mixed martial arts. Sometimes, you lose opponents. Sometimes they change at the last minute. Sometimes they back out. I’m happy to be in here. That’s all I can say. I’m ready to go Saturday night.”

Check out the full interview with Gibson in the video above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Bellator 286.