On opponent Bellator 181 Steve Garcia, Warren was blunt:
“I don’t even know who this kid is, I let my coaches do all the tape and the stressing. They prepare me and I just go into the cage to fight a body, not really a person. So he’s just a body that I’m going to run through. I know he’s a young up and comer, I’m like Bellator’s gate keeper” Warren told us. “I don’t have a problem being that. I started this bantam weight division and I’m going to end this damn division.”
“The bottom line is, this is a young kid trying to make a name for himself,” he expanded, “so he has to come through the baddest man on the planet. Bottom line that is not going to happen, I’m going to have to beat the pants off this young kid, send him back to Albuquerque and let him do his Breaking Bad s***. My whole thing is focus on one thing, moving straight through this man and keep moving until I get that belt back.”
If all goes well Friday, is Warren looking to stay more active? “You know, they have held me back and it’s the longest layoff I’ve had in a while” Warren answered. “So I’m anxious, I’ve been anxious to fight since January.” Continuing on, he told us “you know right after my loss, I wanted to get back in there. I think the organization had such big plans these last four months with all of these big shows and everything lined up, that this is my first opportunity to get back in this cage. Yeah, I would like to fight more and be more active.”
Ultimately, “it’s up to the organization. I trust Scott Coker, he’s always promised me that he’s got my back, he knows what I’ve done for this organization.”
Joe Warren has been a loyal Bellator soldier since 2010, making his debut for the promotion just three fights into his career, all of which had come in Japan’s Dream. So was there ever any temptation to move elsewhere?
“I’m happy, I’ve been with Bellator, they’ve always had my back” Warren said. “You know when they needed me to get the job done in the early years of Bellator I did it, I fought 145, I fought the best and beat the best and it was out of my weight until they were able to put in 135 and then I went there and won their belts.” Though he would like to stay busy. “I would like to fight more, you never know with Bellator, we’re getting bigger and bigger and you gotta kinda pick your spots when you can get in there. They’ve taken care of me and I assume they will take care of me for the rest of my life. I started at Bellator, I plan on finishing with Bellator. I haven’t really ever looked anywhere else. I’m a family guy, I’m an honorable dude, I don’t like to jump ship. I would like to finish my career under the Bellator banner.”
No temptation to take a fight back in Japan, where he started his career, with Rizin, with whom Bellator has historically shared talent, and for whom Warren has done broadcasting work?
“If you’re going to watch the baddest man get down its going to be in a Bellator cage.”
Speaking of commentary, that seems to be the logical next step in Warren’s career — though for now, fighting is still the focus.
“The reason I got into fighting was cause I wanted to talk some s*** on camera” he said, expanding by saying he wanted to “be able to get my side, my view, my viewpoint as a champion [out there], of the fights. So I was always being groomed for that color commentary spot. I fight so much that they cant really use me [on commentary], if I’m going to keep fighting.”
“That would be a honor some day. Have I thought about it? Yeah, I think about it because of my age but I’m still rocking and rolling so we’re going to put that on the back burner until we’re done kicking peoples a***s in that cage.”
Speaking of not being done, looking back, is there any particular loss he’d like to avenge?
“You know this last fight against Dantas, it’s the fight fight that I ever lost a decision” Warren recalled. “If it goes to a decision I always win. And Dantas, I beat him, I took his belt the first time and he was very upset about that.” Dantas fine tuned for the second fight, as Warren sees it. “He reinvented himself and now he is one of the best in the world on his feet, on distance, foot work and keeping you away from him, and he caught me sleeping. I was fighting a lot that year and he wasn’t event in my radar. When they gave me the opportunity I just took it two months out.”
The end result was “he got me, that’s one I need to have to back. That would be a rubber match.” A rubber match Warren is more than willing to do his best to promote. “If I need to go to Brazil to his second job, go to a Brazilian steak house and put up my green flag to get his f***ing attention, I’m going to go do that. Whatever needs to happen.”
“I think the fans want to see that” he finished, before choosing a second fight he’d love to have back.
“I’d like the Darrion Caldwell fight back, that was a fight that was cut short. I was injured, and that fight was over in the first round. I don’t know how that goes. Those were two real losses last year that I’m not used to having.”
“That being said, MMA is the most unpredictable place in the world” Warren stated. “That cage. You can be the best in the world, and still be caught on the chin and go to sleep.”
Today, however, Warren sees himself as the best version of Joe Warren there has been. “I’m a different fighter than I’ve ever been now. I’m re-energized, focused and violent!”
Joe Warren faces Steve Garcia at Bellator 181 Friday in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The main card gets underway at 9PM EST on Spike TV.
