With the news of Dillon Danis signing to Bellator, officially marking his move into MMA, we spoke with the one and only Joe McColgan (2-1), aka the man known as 'The SBG Hunter' due to his various wins over SBG fighters at pro and amateur level.
McColgan and Danis have exchanged pleasantries in the past via social media and interviews and now that the grappling star will be moving into MMA McColgan wants that fight.
Speaking candidly about Danis' move into Mixed Martial Arts he simply said: "I'm impartial to it. I only have an interest in fighting him, not watching him fight someone else. If they give the fight to someone else I'll take no interest in it."
When Dillon Danis began working with Conor McGregor last year he almost instantly became a household name in the MMA world. As the months of working together progressed the Marcelo Garcia black belt teased a jump into the MMA game. Then he finally stated he has had been talking with various promotions and wanted to fight big fights against big names such as Sage Northcutt, Nate Diaz etc.
However, McColgan doesn't believe he will be given that in Bellator.
"Not a chance he will be given big names, he will get the James Gallagher treatment and they will give him opponents they know he will beat," he says. "I doubt they will give me the fight. I think it comes down to short term gain vs. long term gain. Are they willing to make a lot of money from the fight with me, knowing that I will end his hype and any chance of long term profitability, or are they going to go with the long term option and drip feed him opponents, making smaller amounts from shittier match ups."
The Fight Academy Ireland fighter says he is the worst opponent for Danis but lays out the challenge to him.
"I'm the worst opponent from him. As I said before, I'd KO him with feints. He would crumble under my pressure and I'd make him quit. What does he even bring to the table? A world class jiu jitsu pedigree, that's it. If this was a BJJ match you'd put your money on him winning, but this is MMA. You need a lot more than grappling to compete at the highest level of this sport. If I am given the fight, I'll expose him. He said in an interview previously that he would play with me in MMA and that I'm not on his level. I've one thing to say to that - put your money where your mouth is and lets make this fight!"
Due to Danis training closely with SBG there is a good possibility that he might make his debut this side of the Atlantic and if that is the case then McColgan sees no other option for Bellator than to make this fight happen.
"If his debut is being held in Ireland then they have to give the fight to me. This fight would be huge, it could sell out the 3Arena on its own. I'm up for it, but I'm not sure he is," stated McColgan.
McColgan (2-1) defeating SBG's Peter Queally (9-3) at BAMMA 26
