Bellator champ Eduardo Dantas says he's close to being best-ever bantamweight

In Eduardo Dantas’ mind, he’s unblemished in the Bellator cage.

So when he fights Darrion Caldwell (10-1 MMA, 7-1 BMMA) next month, he’s not just trying to extend his unbeaten streak, but cement his legacy.

“I’m nearing my goal – to be the best bantamweight in history,” Dantas (20-4 MMA 10-1 BMMA) told MMAjunkie in advance of his Spike-televised headliner against Caldwell at Bellator 184, which takes place Oct. 6 at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. “I’ll chop down whoever is standing in front of me.”

“I only lost once in Bellator, and I got payback. So I’m not really 10-1. Since I returned the favor, I feel undefeated.”

Feeling and being are two different things, of course. There’s no getting around the fact that Dantas did lose in the Bellator cage to ex-champ Joe Warren in 2014, though he did avenge the setback this past December.

Then there was a highly publicized knockout loss to Tyson Nam at a 2012 Shooto Brazil event. Nam leveraged his fame into a deal with the WSOF, only to hit a four-fight slide.

Dantas’ most recent outing, which was reclassified as a non-title bout when LFA champ Leandro Higo missed weight, ended in a razor-thin split decision.

The champ, however, doesn’t count his setback to Warren as a true defeat, and he dismisses the other fights. Now in his second title reign, the 28-year-old Dantas, who’s No. 7 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings, is looking at the next few years of his career as a victory tour.

“Whoever is on my way during my climb, I’ll beat them all,” he said. “I see myself as the best bantamweight in the world. I just need to beat all the top guys to prove it.

“I want for Bellator to hire them all, so everyone can see that I’m the best of the best.”

Dantas will need Bellator if he wants his accomplishment to be recognized in the eyes of the MMA world. The promotion’s 135-pound division isn’t as robust as the heavier divisions, though the recent acquisition of No. 13-ranked Michael McDonald is a step in the right direction.

As with most weight classes, the UFC holds the majority of top-ranked fighters, so it will be difficult for Dantas to face the kind of world-class competition he wants on a regular basis.

Still, No. 15-ranked Caldwell is a solid challenge. After slowly creeping into the rankings, he’s 11 months removed from avenging his only professional loss, to journeyman Joe Taimanglo. A title shot against Dantas at Bellator 177 was postponed when he suffered an undisclosed injury.

The re-booked fight is still risky for Dantas. Beat Caldwell, and he’s unlikely to move up the rankings. Lose, and his fall will be precipitous.

“Is he dangerous? Yes,” Dantas said. “But there’s nothing special about him. He has good wrestling, but I’m better than him in every way – on the feet, on the ground, or when defending takedowns.

“Wherever the fight goes, he’ll be scared. I’ll chew him up. I saw fear in his eyes. He’ll feel the champion’s axe. He awakens my most primitive instincts.”

For more on Bellator 184, check out the MMA Rumors section of the site.