Training with MMA's best has Law brimming with confidence ahead of fight

Jul. 15—Cody Law watched with more than a little interest on Saturday night as Dustin Poirier defeated Conor McGregor by first-round TKO in one of mixed martial arts' highest-profile fights in years.

Law, a Forest Hills and Pitt-Johns- town graduate, trained with Poirier ahead of the fight, mimicking McGregor during their training sessions in May. Law said he worked out with Poirier two to three times a week as he prepared for his fight with Theodore Macuka, who he will face on Friday night's Bellator 262 event at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

"I was going southpaw for Dustin," Law said. "He helped me a bunch and, hopefully, I helped him. He's the best 155-pounder in the world and I got to be in there with him consistently."

Law (3-0-0) is one of the top prospects in Bellator. He'll fight Macuka (1-0-0) at 145 pounds on a preliminary card that begins at 6 p.m. Friday and will be streamed live for free on Bellator's YouTube channel. Juliana Velasquez's flyweight world title fight with Denise Kielholtz is the evening's main event.

"It's crazy," Law said of his training partners. "Sometimes I almost play tricks on myself. I forget how good the guys I'm training with are. You start to forget that you're facing the best guys in the world. I've seen the best of the best."

Macuka, whose nickname is "The Headtaker," is a black belt in taekwondo. The New Jersey native defeated Rikardo Hysenaj by first-round knockout in his lone professional bout nearly a year ago. The 21-year-old also has won his only amateur fight.

Law is much more experienced. A PIAA and NCAA Division II wrestling champion, the 26-year-old won five amateur bouts before turning pro last year. He defeated Orlando Ortega by D'Arce choke in his debut, then picked up a ground-and-pound TKO victory over Kenny Champion in December 2020. He went the distance for the first time in April, winning by unanimous decision over Nathan Ghareeb.

Training with American Top Team in South Florida, Law has been going up against Brazilian Marlon Moraes.

"My main sparring partner Marlin Moraes is one of the best fighters in the world at 135 pounds," Law said. "He's a lifelong kickboxer."

Law has trained in kickboxing with Philip Ameris, of New Kensington, who will be in his corner Friday night, and doesn't expect Macuka to offer up anything that he hasn't already seen.

"I have my own feel for taekwondo," Law said. "There's obviously threats that every guy poses. ... I'm not too focused on my opponent. I'm focused on myself. If I do my thing, everything will take care of itself."

Law dominated his fight with Ghareeb with nearly 10 1/2 minutes of ground control but was unable to finish off the jiujitsu specialist. Since then, Law has tried to improve in that area.

"I spent a lot more time on jiujitsu since the last fight," he said. "I've been doing one extra session a week. I'm just focused a bit more on jiujitsu technique, passing guard, having more finishes instead of being on top and trying to land punches. It's a learning process."