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Nicolas Dalby vs. Sergei Churilov CWFC 66
Nicolas Dalby vs. Sergei Churilov [Photo Credit: CAge Warriors]

Denmark’s Nicolas Dalby kicked down the doors of Cage Warriors earlier this year to snatch the CWFC welterweight crown and establish himself as one of Europe’s most engaging fighters on the rise.

It’s been eight months since the undefeated ‘Sharpshooter’ scalped Sergei Churilov for the CWFC welterweight title in March, placing himself atop one of the most competitive roster divisions in all of MMA. The Cage Warriors welterweight ranks are lively and active with promising contenders bidding for their shot at the championship; the sudden crowning of Dalby has enlivened the scene, and we’re eager to see the next installment when he takes on Norway’s Mohsen Bahari in the main event of Cage Warriors 74 on Nov. 15 at the Copper Box Arena in London.

Facing Mohsen Bahari

The Dane always looks to keep one eye on emerging fighters from Nordic lands, and Dalby (12-0) was in talks for a clash with Bahari (8-1) once before; however, the fight never materialized. Now, their paths are on a collision course, and a fight that has been years in the making will finally be contested.

“I reckoned at some point I’d run in to him,” Dalby explained. “We weren’t scheduled but he was in talks to be my opponent at an event for my fifth or sixth pro fight, but we never heard back from his management or something like that; he’s been on my radar since. If I see some Nordic fighters in my weight class doing good, I get interested because maybe I’ll run into them at some point, especially after I got signed to Cage Warriors and had the title fight. I expected that Bahari would be the next in line if I didn’t have to face Danny Roberts.”

The cancelled defence

Dalby’s expeditious arrival in Cage Warriors left us all in anticipation, and patience has been required as we await his first title defense – a hurdle where all fresh champions seek to prove their worth as the ruler of a division. Dalby claimed the 170lb title in his debut appearance with the top British promotion. The champion is only now able to cement his status with a previously scheduled defense against former champ Gael Grimaud having been called off on the day of the weigh in.

“A lot of things went through my mind. At first I was really p***ed and angry at Grimaud because he pulled out so late, but then we talked to Graham [Boylan] and Ian Dean, and I got the full story. He was feeling ready until the Tuesday before the fight when his back injury flared up again. When I got the story I thought OK, Grimaud couldn’t really change anything.

“There was nothing I could do about the situation, plus I got the date for the new fight at the same time. Everything was out of my hands so I couldn’t really use the negative energy for anything, I just had to make the best of it and go see the show. Of course, it was very frustrating, but at that moment all the training was done. Had it been maybe two weeks before (the fight), then I might have been more displeased because I’d still be in hard training mode.”

Winning the title in his Cage Warriors debut

While the decision to hand Dalby a championship opportunity for his Cage Warriors debut was questioned by some, previous exploits had already piqued the interest of others including the Cage Warriors match makers. Dalby was able to claim the title in front of his countrymen as CWFC 66 was staged at the Ballerup Super Arena in Denmark, suggesting that Cage Warriors are sold on their new acquisition, and are ready to invest in Dalby as their next top export.

“When I got word that I would be signed (to Cage Warriors), it was to fight the title fight. It was scheduled to be against Grimaud so it made sense for that fight to happen. The unfortunate thing happened and Grimaud had to pull out of that fight as well. It happened just a week before they were announcing it so they scrambled to get a new opponent.

“I heard a bit of chatter on the net about people not being satisfied that I got the title shot right off the bat, but in the end it’s Ian Dean and Graham Boylan who decide who gets the shot or not. Should I turn it down because somebody else maybe deserved it more than me? No, they thought I was the right man to get the title fight so of course I said yes – it’s an epic opportunity to get a great fight, some good exposure, and good experience.

“It was awesome (to win the title in Denmark), it was a dream come true, really. In the lead up to the fight I’d been a bit rocky with getting a new opponent a month before, it adds a bit of complexity to the training camp, because you have to switch strategies and stuff like that.

“I had some personal stuff come up that just made it more stressful than usual, plus my new opponent was maybe not such a well recognized name. For him it was more of a ‘win/win’ fight; for me, if I’d lost that fight it would have looked really bad so there was some pressure there as well. I didn’t really feel it leading up to the fight, but after the fight I realized there was some pressure on myself. I could see it in myself when I saw the footage afterwards; usually I’m smiling, I don’t do it intentionally, but sometimes I have this sadistic smile, and I didn’t have that, I was so concentrated. I try to be in the moment, just enjoy it and feel the urge to go in there and rip his head off, but I wasn’t feeling that, I was so focused, and maybe a bit too serious about it all.”

Flipping the switch from humble to sadistic

Interestingly, Dalby remains humbly submissive to fate, and feels he has made peace with the fact that at some point will be defeated on a number of occasions no matter how hard he fights – a personal admission that not many fighters would care to express; nevertheless, this very acknowledgement is what makes him fearless as a fighter. The 29-year-old carries himself as a truly laid-back, uncomplicated, and effortlessly humble person, let alone champion; however, Dalby pinpointed the moment where his switch flips, and ‘The Sharpshooter’s’ sadistic instincts become active

“I don’t think anything in particular goes through my mind, it’s so instinctive, it just happens. In the two hours leading up to the fight I get more and more focused, especially when they play the walkout music and I’m getting ready to walk out. That’s where I feel the moment comes when the switch flips.

“I’m gonna lose a fight at some point. Sooner or later it’s going to happen. It can happen at any fight, and when it happens, it happens. I know that’s a boring answer, but it’s kind of the approach I like to have. I’m gonna get knocked out some day, I’m gonna lose by submission some day, I have to prepare myself for those things. Because I prepare myself mentally for that, I can go out and fight without any fear of losing, because I’ve already thought about it; it’s not a scary thought anymore. It can happen, so be it.”

Team morale and Rumble Sports

Dalby vs. Bahari sees representatives of both Denmark and Norway facing off in a bout that further highlights the growth of MMA with yet another European country producing more notable contenders. Dalby trains out of Rumble sports – a leading hotbed of Danish talent, playing host to the likes of Dalby, his fellow Cage Warriors veteran Damir ‘The Bosnian Bomber’ Hadzovic, Swedish UFC middleweight Mats Nilsson, and the undefeated Pannie ‘Banzai’ Kianzad, all of whom contribute to the team’s morale when going through the pain of their preparations together as a unit.

“I think at Rumble Sports have a really good training environment, and that mirrors our results. We really try to have an environment where everybody can train, be happy, and talk to each other. There’s nobody trying to beat each other up, just try to have a friendly training atmosphere. Of course, we have a lot of very skilled coaches, Tue being the head coach – he’s a very good strategist, and he’s a nice person to be around. He’s got a great eye for seeing strengths and flaws in his fighters, and the opponents of his fighters. All those factors combined makes us a successful gym.

“It’s always nice to have team mates fighting near the same time as myself. People are more focused and there’s more people in the gym to help the fighters, it gives a nice atmosphere to have someone to suffer with.”

‘UFC ready’?

There are some who already consider Dalby as ‘UFC ready’, and a convincing victory on November 15 would only back up the notion. While many prospects wouldn’t think twice about ditching their European promotion for a UFC stint, the Cage Warriors champion does not fully agree that his time is now. Dalby suggests that he owes the audience a more enduring reign before he gives thought to moving on, and once again expressed his modesty, commitment, and good fighting morals.

“I’ve won the title, but I’ve only had one fight for Cage Warriors. I have to get out there and show I’m not just a one time thing. If I continue down the winning road that I’ve been on so far then it’s going to happen eventually. It’s difficult to know when it will happen so when it happens, it happens. It’s out of my hands, I can’t really set up a goal like I want to be in the UFC within a year, because maybe they’re full in the welterweight division, plus I’m really satisfied with fighting on Cage Warriors, they treat me very good both contractually, and it’s a nice promotion.”

Photo credit: Dolly Clew|Cage Warriors