Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas challenges Joe Warren to random drug test

Bellator bantamweight champion Eduardo Dantas called interim titleholder Joe Warren “delirious” to think he’s afraid of a fight.

In comments relayed by his longtime coach, Dantas responded to Warren’s recent accusations that a recent gym injury was being used as a ploy to delay the defense of his belt.

“At this moment, it would be delirious to the point to say I’m afraid of him,” Dantas said via Nova Uniao head coach Andre Pederneiras, who forwarded the champ’s comments to MMAjunkie. “The fight will be made. And I’ll beat the hell out of him.”

Dantas, (16-3 MMA, 6-0 BMMA), who’s ranked No. 6 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, also mocked Warren’s past, providing a link to a story detailing the former amateur wrestler’s suspension from competition for a positive marijuana test.

“With regard to what Joe’s been saying, the only thing I can say is that seeing his past with a drug problem and getting caught in (a) doping test from wrestling, I see that he is getting worse in this indiscriminate (drug) use in his life,” he wrote.

Warren (11-3 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) fired one of many shots at the undisputed champion this past week when he told MMAjunkie Radio that Dantas had been cleared by doctors to fight despite suffering a head injury in training. He claimed to know all along that the two wouldn’t face off earlier this month at Bellator 118, where he went on to win the interim strap by outpointing short-notice replacement Rafael Silva.

“He’s a young kid,” Warren said. “I got in his head a little bit. I started messing with him. He probably is a realist to understand I’m going to beat the s–t out of him, and he didn’t want to get it done in front of a bunch of people.”

Bellator Chairman and CEO Bjorn Rebney contradicted Warren’s account earlier this month, telling MMAjunkie that the fighter did not get good news from doctors and would be out of action for the foreseeable future.

Dantas didn’t say when he might be able to return to action, but he suggested that when he did, Warren be subjected to enhanced drug testing.

“I would like to ask a question to Joe, Bellator and the [athletic] commission of the [event],” Dantas wrote. “Joe, do you accept to do a random drug test (blood) with me?

“Probably not, right? Do you know why? Because you probably will not be able to fight. I will beat you, with or without doping!”

Warren, meanwhile, said he will wait to unify the bantamweight title but could pursue broadcast interests while he keeps in shape for Dantas. During this past Saturday’s Bellator 120 event, which marked the Viacom-owned promotion’s inaugural pay-per-view event, he told the Brazilian champ to “stop being a p–sy” and take the fight.

But according to Dantas, there is no convincing that needs to be done.

Mma junkie.com