Bellator 177's Leandro Higo has 'no doubt' he'll beat champ Dantas, expects to see fans 'on their feet'

Title challenger Leandro Higo is in agreement with champ Eduardo Dantas when he says Friday’s Bellator 177 headliner has all the potential to be a barn-burner.

But, as expected, he and Dantas (19-4 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) don’t really see eye to eye when it comes to the belt’s destination after it’s all said and done. While he’s the promotional newcomer taking on the defending, two-time champ, Higo (17-2 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) has all the confidence that he’ll make the most out of his big break.

“I’m very happy to debut in Bellator against Dantas, who’s one of the best fighters in our weight class,” Higo told MMAjunkie ahead of the Spike-televised main event at Budapest Sports Arena in Budapest, Hungary.

“I’m putting on a show and bringing the belt home – no doubt.”

Higo’s trajectory has had its share of ups and downs. Not only did a string of cancellations keep him sidelined from professional competition for almost two years, his “Ultimate Fighter Brazil: 4” run turned out to be a frustrating one. The adversity, however, worked to make him “the fighter that he is today.” And he’s since bounced back in style, going on an undefeated four-fight, three-finish streak.

Higo’s most recent effort, a unanimous call over Steven Peterson, earned him LFA’s inaugural 135-pound belt and eighth professional win in a row. A few months later, he’d be getting the call to join the big leagues. And while the shot was, in the Brazilian bantamweight’s opinion, way overdue, it also arrived during his “best phase.”

Sure, coming in on short-notice is never the ideal preparation scenario. But, having stayed ready exactly so he would be able to answer to calls like these, Higo finds himself in good shape to try and take the 135-pound belt.

“It’s not an adequate amount of preparation time, but that’s why I’m always training,” Higo said. “Sometimes, an opportunity might materialize, and the fighter is not ready. So I always keep that in mind. Life is full of opportunities, and I’ve been able to make it this far by seizing those that came my way.

“I’m training as much as I can. I’ll be looking to catch (Dantas) at the right moment, when he gives me an opening. I’ll fight intelligently. I can’t go easy on him.”

Higo’s caution stems from what seems like a lot of respect for “Dudu” Dantas’ ever-evolving game. Since first losing the Bellator belt to Joe Warren in 2014, the Brazilian champ returned with a vengeance, going on to reclaim the belt and defend it in equally dominant fashion on a rematch with Warren.

Higo has been following Dantas’ career and is, therefore, highly aware of what he brings to the table. But that doesn’t mean he’s in any way intimidated by it.

“Eduardo Dantas is very versatile,” High said. “He comes from jiu-jitsu, as do I. He has very good striking. He uses his reach very well. He’s tall for our weight class. He’s been doing very well, always controlling the distance against his opponents. He has shown great wrestling improvements. As it is, many of our potential opponents in Bellator are wrestlers.

“So we have to keep that tool especially sharp. He doesn’t shy away from a fight, and moves very well. I’ll be doing the same. All the elements are in place for us to put on a show for the fans. I’ve been studying him for a few years. I always study all belt holders. This isn’t a game for me. And just like on my last fight, the fans will be on their feet.”

Higo is so confident, in fact, that a title win on his promotional debut is just a small part of an even more ambitious plan.

“Whoever wants to bet on me, go ahead,” Higo said. “Victory is guaranteed.

“After this fight, I want to be very active. I’d like to defend my belt as frequently as possible. I want to carve my own history in the promotion, as my training partners Patricio and Patricky Freire have done.”

For more on Bellator 177, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.