Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas will be defending his title against Darrion Caldwell sometime in the near future. Caldwell earned the shot by avenging his only loss. He defeated Joe Taimanglo via unanimous decision last month.
“Dudu” told MMAFighting.com that he was eyeing a super fight with featherweight champion Daniel Straus. While Dantas gave Caldwell his due, he believes he’ll dominate the fight:
“I really wanted to fight Daniel next but Bellator promoters like Caldwell, so I already expected that he would get a title shot if he won, especially because he’s the only one left in the division. He deserves the title shot, so he’s still left so I can 100 percent dominate this division. I will run through him.”
Dantas has always competed as a bantamweight inside the Bellator cage. Should he defeat Caldwell and move up, the Brazilian bruiser doesn’t want to fight anyone before getting to the 145-pound champion:
“It doesn’t make any sense to me to go up and fight someone else. I have to go up and fight the champion. Bellator always asks me that. I only train with heavier guys in the gym, featherweights and lightweights, so I’d feel more comfortable at featherweight. Faster, stronger, more explosive. I’d do well in this division. It makes sense to have this super fight at 145, against the champion.”
Dantas won the bantamweight title back in April 2012. He successfully defended his title against Marcos Galvao and Anthony Leone. He lost his title when Joe Warren bested him by unanimous decision. Dantas won back the title when he beat Galvao for a second time. “Dudu” then went on to avenge his loss to Joe Warren last month in a majority decision.
When Dantas steps inside the cage with Caldwell, he will make his second title defense in his current run.
