Eduardo Dantas (16-3) isn't bothered by all the trash talk from his opponent Joe Warren (11-3) for Friday's Bellator bantamweight title unification bout in Thackerville, OK (airing on Spike TV). Really, he isn't.
The 37 year-old former world champion wrestler Warren has called the 25 year-old Dantas "a kid," for example. "He can talk anything he wants," Dantas tells us Wed. afternoon.
"Yes, I'm younger. I'm also much more fast, and much more aggressive because I'm young."
The Brazilian champ also isn't upset that Bellator decided to create an interim title - which Warren won - even though it has only been about six months since he last fought and won. Truly, he's happy for the promotion and for Warren.
"It doesn't make a big difference to me," Dantas says, unconvincingly.
"Everyone knows I'm the champ. To me, Bellator gave him a belt because he's famous, so they could take pictures with him holding it."
Ahh, yes. Those pictures of Warren holding his interim belt.
Dantas has repeatedly mentioned those pictures in this and other conversations. That doesn't mean seeing those shots have given the Nova Uniao fighter any added motivation, of course.
"No," Dantas begins.
"I think it is good for [Warren]. He's an old guy so it is goof for him to have a belt. He may be happy right now, but on Friday, he won't be."
No doubt, part of Dantas' clever curtness is due to the fact that we're bothering him as he cuts weight, as well as to Warren's pre-fight hype. However, the calm in the voice of "Dudu" is likely the result of pure confidence, forged on the Nova Uniao mats while sparring with the likes of UFC champions Jose Aldo and Renan Barao.
Many top fighters outside of the UFC wonder how they would stack up against the elite of the world's top MMA promotion. After training with the UFC's best, day in and day out, Dantas doesn't appear to have any doubt about himself.
"It doesn't matter where guys fight," he concludes.
"If I fight any body, I kill them."
Follow Elias on Twitter @EliasCepeda & @YahooCagewriter
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