Joe Taimanglo on Bellator trilogy with Darrion Caldwell: 'The champ can't run from me'

THACKERVILLE, Okla. – After quickly beating Leandro Higo in the main event of Friday’s Bellator 195 event, Darrion Caldwell wouldn’t make any promises in regard to his future in-cage plans – which could even involve a move back up to the featherweight division.

There was someone else on that same card, however, who has a very specific idea for the bantamweight champ.

Joe Taimanglo (25-8-1 MMA, 7-4 BMMA) beat former two-division champ Joe Warren (15-7 MMA, 13-6 BMMA) in the co-headliner at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The win, which came via split decision, put Taimanglo back in the winning column after a loss to Higo. And, the way he sees it, it quite clearly sets him up for a trilogy with Caldwell (12-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA).

“No, (Bellator hasn’t talked to me yet), but you know … that’s going to happen,” Taimanglo said with a wide smile. “The champ can’t run from me, dude. I earned it tonight. I beat a former division two-time champion, Joe Warren. That should shoot me up there. Give me the opportunity to fight the champion.

“I’m the only loss Darrion has had. We’re 1-1. He didn’t finish me; I finished him. So that should be something that should be a truly G match, and we should settle the score. Not 1-1. Someone has to go 2-1. And that’s going to be me.”

Taimanglo’s recollections are accurate: He did bring Caldwell’s first and sole MMA loss, at Bellator 159, with a third-round submission win. Caldwell, however, avenged it a few months later, at Bellator 167, this time with a unanimous-decision win. Caldwell then claimed the bantamweight belt with a victory over Eduardo Dantas, and he defended for the first time with the victory over Higo.

Taimanglo doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that his fight was placed right under the title bout on Friday. And Caldwell, himself, didn’t dismiss the trilogy and said backstage that he’s open to fighting anyone for the right price. The champ did add that, while there’s some mutual respect there, Taimanglo “didn’t stand a chance” against him.

Which, come to think about it, was actually light shade compared to the one Caldwell threw while still in the cage.

“Who is this ‘Baby Joe’ you speak of?” Caldwell asked.

It seems “Baby” Joe himself, who said he’s “really cool” with the champ, isn’t losing sleep over the taunt. After all, not only does he believe that’s just part of Caldwell’s self-promotion M.O., but he also has reasons to believe his former foe is well aware of who he is.

“He never forgot when he was getting choked out nine seconds in the third round,” Taimanglo said. “He probably sees that replay all over and over again, probably wakes up at 3 a.m. in the morning, ‘Ah,’ doing that number and saying, ‘Oh, shucks,’ tapping out and having hard breath. That’s what I think he does, so he knows who I am.”

As familiar as the two men are with each other, a new matchup would involve a new scenario: the belt. And, for Guam’s Taimanglo, that’s the truly meaningful part.

“No one in my island has ever come to the highest (level) of professional sport to win an accolade like that,” Taimanglo said. “For me to be the first to do it? Man, it’s a humbling experience to actually compete for something like that. As far as Darrion – yeah, we fought twice. I beat him once, he beat me once, but the third time is going to be for a world title.

“That’s going to be the awesome part. And that’s what I’m looking forward to. And it’s going to hurt more losing his belt than losing off a decision and trying to fight Dantas for the belt. But this time, when I come in, I’m going to take his belt.”

For more on Bellator 195, check out the MMA Events section of the site.