Felice Herrig apologizes for Bellator 94 scuffle with Heather Clark

Felice Herrig has apologized for her role in a dustup with Heather Clark at this past week’s Bellator 94 event.

In a preliminary-card strawweight bout, Herrig took a unanimous-decision victory. Immediately afterward, she rose from her back and unleashed a yell of celebration in her opponent’s face, which prompted a post-fight backhand punch from Clark. Which prompted a retaliatory punch from Herrig.

Referee Jorge Ortiz separated the fighters, and order was quickly restored.

But Herrig, who stripped down to a Superman outfit and shoved Clark at the March 28 event’s weigh-ins (see below), apologized for her actions. She said the bad blood resulted from months of trash-talk from her opponent.

“First off I want to apologize to any of my fans that thought what I did was unsportsmanlike,” she tweeted. “Looking back on it now I probably shouldn’t have reacted that way but my emotions got the better of me. Heather has been on a mission for almost 2 years now trying to fight me and has done the typical trashing of me to try and get that attention to do it.”

Herrig (9-4 MMA, 2-0 BFC) said she was always open to the fight, but Clark (5-4 MMA, 0-1 BFC) continued fighting at 125 pounds while she fought at 115. Herrig said she was “just tired” of bigger opponents calling her out, and she wanted to make Clark pay.

“Heather is a very tough fighter and I wish the drama leading up to it was not as heated as it became but I assure you it was not brought on be me at all,” she stated. “I never attack anyone who hasn’t attacked me first. I wish Heather a speedy recovery and I’m not upset that she took a swing at me after the bell… I probably would have done the same. Actually I know I would have done the same!”

Despite the drama, Herrig, who was the No. 5-ranked strawweight in this month’s Unified Women’s Mixed Martial Arts Rankings, is on a roll with four straight wins and six victories in her past seven fights.

For more on Bellator 94, stay tuned to the MMA Events section of the site.

* * * *