There’s a lot of distance between Rahway, New Jersey, and Raleigh, North Carolina. Or is there?
One pole is where Darrion Caldwell learned he didn’t want to be accountable for anyone else—or for anyone else to be accountable for him. The other is where the philosophy actualized, leading him to the pinnacle of a sport and into a professional career.
The New Jersey kid and national champion wrestler from NC State University is now one of the brightest prospects in all of MMA. On Friday the bantamweight faces the brightest lights of his life when he steps in to face former Bellator featherweight and bantamweight champion Joe Warren in the main event of Bellator 150.
“This is the biggest bout of my career in general, wrestling or fighting,” the 28-year-old Caldwell (8-0) said recently in an exclusive interview with Bleacher Report. “It’s gonna put me on that international platform. His name rings bells across the world, and I can’t say the same right now. It’s a fight that’s gonna change my life.”
#Bellator151 weigh-ins go live tonight 6/5c! Here’s a closer look at the BW main event! @joewarrenmma @thewolf_mmahttps://t.co/ZdZwBNejcz
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) March 3, 2016
The Beaten Path prospect series named Caldwell its No. 5 overall prospect for 2016.
The urban sandlots of the Garden State aren’t exactly hallowed sporting ground, but even that modest frame was enough to set off Caldwell’s considerable athletic talents, even as a youngster.
“We’d play football, and I had really good balance at an early age,” Caldwell said. “I’d make these cutback steps that were just crazy. I got the name of Dancing Barry, like Barry Sanders, because I always kept my feet under me.”
Like most athletically inclined kids, the young Caldwell dabbled in several different sports. In the sixth grade, he decided to hone his focus.
“I knew I had a gift in wrestling,” he said. “On the basketball court, I was fast and I was crafty, but I wasn’t that tall and I didn’t have that ‘it’ factor. For wrestling it was just the fact that it was one-on-one. You don’t have to worry about blaming or someone not doing what they’re supposed to.”
It’s clear the decision paid off. After three state titles in high school, NC State called, and Caldwell shipped down to Wolfpack country. Needless to say, Raleigh was kind of different from Rahway, but for Caldwell it was a good sort of different.
“I was tired of city life and being smothered with so many people all up on me,” Caldwell said. “North Carolina was so different. It was so wide-open, out in the country.”
An incredibly dynamic wrestler at 149 pounds, Caldwell was named an All-American as a sophomore. He managed to top that next season with a run to the national championship. In the national title match, Caldwell defeated the University of Iowa’s Brent Metcalf, the previous season’s champion who was undefeated to that point and ultimately became known as one of the most successful college wrestlers of all time.
Although Caldwell had other successes on the wrestling mat, a torn labrum in his shoulder, suffered while rollerblading, effectively ended his wrestling career. Though the injury caused problems for years, Caldwell eventually got a date with renowned orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Andrews fixed the shoulder several years ago, and Caldwell hasn’t looked back since.
Wrestling was over, but Caldwell was well aware he had another avenue. It didn’t take him much time to decide on MMA—or for MMA to decide on him.
“I posted on my Twitter that I was going to retire [from wrestling],” he said. “Immediately after that, [current UFC light heavyweight champion] Daniel Cormier hit me up, and he was like ‘Come out to train with us.’ American Top Team said for me to come down, too…It was almost like a recruiting process for me again.”
MMA training fit the same pattern: new but familiar. And he took to it with the same aptitude as with his previous sport of choice.
Takedowns and position grappling are still second nature to Caldwell. His 5’10” frame and 74-inch reach are both on the high end for a bantamweight—Warren, by comparison, is 5’6″ with a reach of 69 inches. He has some slick submissions, too. His striking remains a clear area for improvement, but not surprisingly, it’s coming along.
“The whole stand-up game,” he said when asked what area of the sport he enjoys most. “I wake up in the morning, and I want to throw these hands.”
Caldwell admits he’s still a work in progress, but that’s not dampening his enthusiasm for Warren or his confidence in himself. This is a new spot for Caldwell, but at the same time, he’s been here before.
“I’ll finish him in the first round,” Caldwell said. “I like to get in and get out. I’m an entertainer. I’m coming into my fighting style, filling out all the kinks.”
The Beaten Path is Bleacher Report’s series on top MMA prospects. For the previous interview in the series, click here. Scott Harris covers MMA for Bleacher Report. For more, follow Scott on Twitter. All quotes obtained firsthand.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com