Eduardo Dantas, a former two-time Bellator bantamweight champion, is about to embark on a new journey outside the MMA cage. The seasoned MMA star is set to face UFC prospect, Umar Nurmagomedov, in a high-profile no-gi grappling contest at ADXC 7 on October 25th in Abu Dhabi.
At 35, Dantas has taken this match as an opportunity to shift his focus, even temporarily, from his MMA career to grappling—a change he didn’t initially expect but found too tempting to resist.
Though Dantas was preparing for an MMA outingin December, he quickly adjusted his plans when the ADXC offer came through. Shifting from his usual boxing and Muay Thai regimen, he dived headfirst into refining his jiu-jitsu skills. Facing a Dagestani wrestling phenom like Nurmagomedov, who’s known for his strong grappling foundation, gave Dantas a compelling reason to make this transition.
He told sherdog:
“Since I started practicing jiu-jitsu, I’ve heard histories of masters Helio, Carlson and later Rickson showing the efficiency of jiu-jitsu against all other styles of each generation,” Dantas observed. “Today, grappling-wise, jiu-jitsu and wrestling are, no doubt, the most dominant styles, so it will be an honor to represent my art against a representative of the respected Dagestani school of wrestling, that is also close to dispute a UFC title.”
He sees the match as a symbolic clash between two dominant styles in modern martial arts—Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Dagestani wrestling. This sense of tradition and rivalry fuels Dantas’s motivation for the upcoming contest.
Dantas acknowledges the significance of competing against a fighter from such a highly respected school of wrestling. Umar, while on the rise in the UFC bantamweight division, brings a wealth of experience despite his young age. Dantas, however, doesn’t view this as a stepping stone to the UFC but rather as an opportunity to showcase his skills and challenge himself against one of the most promising fighters in the game.
His approach is one of respect rather than ambition, downplaying any expectations that a win here could land him a UFC contract. His connection to the UFC remains peripheral, having nearly been part of the promotion but for reasons beyond his control.
