Joe Warren embraces 'gatekeeper' role, sees title shot in future
In the six-year existence of Bellator MMA, few fighters have been as synonymous with the promotion as Joe Warren.
Since his debut in April 2010, Warren has fought 15 times under the Bellator banner. During that time, he became the first fighter in company history to hold a belt in two weight classes and is the only fighter to win titles on three separate occasions (including an interim title).
Warren turns 40 later this year. In his last three outings, he's sandwiched a decision win over LC Davis with a pair of submission losses to Darrion Caldwell and Marcos Galvao.
He meets 26-year-old Sirwan Kakai in the bantamweight co-main event Friday at Bellator 161 in Cedar Park, Texas.
While Warren is well aware of how fast the sport of MMA can pass an athlete by, he still expects to return to the championship circle.
"I'm the older veteran fighter. I'm like the gatekeeper man, if you want to get a title shot, you've got to come through me and that's kind of what happens," Warren told theScore. "I usually have the belt or I'm fighting for it. Last fight was unpredictable for me, the first takedown I dislocated my kneecap and tore my MCL. I've never been in the cage hurt like that where I wasn't sure what I should do. I stood up and when things go bad they go real bad, I got body slammed and choked out. There's nothing I can take away from Darrion. He's the future at 135. He's a stud.
"That being said, I didn't really get to fight. We rehabbed and we're 100-percent now, so I'm just focused on getting back in this win column. I don't do well in the losing column."
It's not far-fetched to picture Warren fighting for gold again when you consider he has a recent win over the current Bellator 135-pound champion Eduardo Dantas. Warren won a decision over Dantas in a unification bout two years ago, only to drop his belt to Galvao who subsequently lost it back to Dantas.
Warren feels like that convoluted title lineage keeps him in the hunt if he and Dantas can handle their business.
"I believe that the fans want that fight. I believe we want that fight," said Warren. "I'm the only person to beat him and take his belt. We have history together. I believe that's a big fight for us, we both want it, so I just need to make sure I take care of what I need to take care of next weekend and if he still has his belt, hopefully I'll be the guy that takes it from him."
All of Warren's plans will be for naught if he can't get past Kakai. He's unimpressed with the tough talk that the younger fighter has been spouting to hype up their bout, and sees him as just another obstacle in his path to a fourth belt.
"I've never met the kid," said Warren. "He seems to be talking a lot of s---, which is probably good for him to hype him up. But the bottom line is it's going to get real fast when we get in that cage. You know how it goes, people like to talk s--- about me, they think I'm a little punk and want to beat my ass and then they get in there and get their ass whupped."