Gino van Steenis’ outlook has changed. He’s not the same one who lost in the semi-finals of the PFL Europe Championship to Connor Hughes last September. The gyno that appears now, from Florida, under the hot sun that accompanies its preparation in Kiel … Cliff FC talks different, breathes different, and moves different. “Everything happens for a reason,” he repeats several times. In his case, he seems to have considered it a talisman. “I wasn’t mentally present due to a lot of personal issues, and I wasn’t focused at all. Let’s say I was afraid of mistrust.”he remembers.
Next December 6, at WAR 8 in the Palacio de Vistalegre (Madrid), Van Steenes enters the cage again with the aim of showing his true identity when his head is clear. “Now I can say that mentally I am in very good shape, and I know that if I fight with this mentality that I have now against Conor, it will be completely different and you will see a different Geno.” “From falling, you have to get up and be stronger. He added: “I woke up and know that I am now in a very good state of mind and I am training very well. I feel very strong and the only thing I can do now is show what I want to show.”
And for this renaissance, Gino van Steenes decided to prepare at Kill Cliff, one of the most prestigious gyms in the world, alongside names like Gilbert Burns or Vicente Luque. “Here everyone comes for what they come. “You’re training with people from the UFC, from the UFC, they’re all professionals and they all want to get better.”. His routine is simple: train, eat, sleep, repeat. This is because December 6 is not the only focus on the horizon of the silent killer (Gino’s nickname). When it was not yet public, the NFL had already notified Gino and his brother Costello, the promoter’s current champion, that the league would land in Madrid in March 2026. In fact, they already have the contracts, as the youngest of the brothers revealed exclusively to ABC MMA. “They told us not to say it, but now that it’s official, we’ll be there together.” But before thinking about La Liga Madrid, Gino has an urgent task: his fight against Marco Antonio Elpidio.
Elpidio, number one in Mexico and Latin America, arrives with more professional experience than him, but that’s not something that scares Gino. “If I didn’t see myself as prepared, I wouldn’t have fought this fight. He’s strong, he doesn’t give up, he has a very good lineup… but I see him as slow, and he doesn’t have anything amazing. “I love him because I know he’s coming to fight.” And this is exactly what Van Steenes is looking for: someone who will force him to show his best version and make up for his last showing. The motivation is twofold, as it will be his first fight in Spain. “For me it is a dream. I was born in Spain, I grew up in Spain…fighting here is a very big thing. “I will be in front of my people.”. These people also include teammates such as Manguilo and the Clement Club team, with whom he trains regularly when he is in Madrid. “They are my friends, my people. “They train hard and helped me a lot,” he explained.
On December 6th, the Vistalegre Palace will welcome, for the first time in the country, one of the scene’s greatest pioneers. Moreover, he is clear about his goal. Gino van Steenes is determined to show that the EFL setback is a thing of the pastAnd that in his fight against Marco Antonio Elpidio he will show his development. “In the second round I will knock him out. There will be a reward, he asserts without making any effort.