Danni McCormack 5-0-0 is an Irish professional Mixed Martial Artist currently competing in the Strawweight Division, representing SGB Ireland. A professional competitor since 2019, she has competed for National Fighting Championship and Bellator MMA.
I’d like to start this off by thanking you for taking the time to speak to me again today Danni. I’d also like to congratulate you on your recent fight announcement for return to the 3arena for Bellator’s explosive return to Dublin. And on your recent marriage, I wish you both a very happy future.
I hope training camp has been going phenomenally well in the build-up to your highly anticipated return?
“Hey Aaron, thanks very much for doing this interview. Training Camps going great, it’s brilliant to get back to training so soon after Christmas. Especially after getting married and probably eating and enjoying myself too much lol. It was great to come back in January and get straight back into a training camp. I’ve been enjoying myself throughout this camp, I’m fighting a good striker so it’s exciting coming up against someone with a lot of striking experience. I’m enjoying getting ready for it.”
Last we spoke was not long after you took yourself to 5-0-0 in the Bellator cage, you return to the 3arena to try and add another Digit to your extraordinary professional Career so far. In two weeks you take on France’s Stéphanie Page, who will be just as dangerous as the most opponent’s as she tries to shake off a two-fight losing streak on February 25th. In regards to your opponent, have you had the opportunity to do some research on Stéphanie?
“Stéphanie is a good striker, she has a lot of MuayThai and Kickboxing experience. She’s French and usually, most French people are good at Kickboxing and striking. From an MMA perspective, I don’t think she’s very well rounded, she hasn’t got a lot of wrestling or grappling, from what I’ve seen in her tape anyway. It’s gonna be a wrestler vs striker matchup but Stéphanie is dangerous and has got high level striking. It’s exciting for me to deal with that and show that I’m not just a grappler and that I’m well able to stand with her as well. It’s gonna be an intriguing match-up because Stéphanie is gonna bring the heat, throw bombs and wanna stand and bang. Let’s just see how she deals with my striking and of course mixing up my takedowns with that.”
After your previous victory, you made your intentions very clear that you wanted a showdown with Valerie Loureda. Even though this potential showdown hasn’t come to light, is this something you’re still hoping to do in the not so distant future?
“Artem Lobov egged me on to call out Valerie Lourda in the post-fight interview so I couldn’t help myself so I called her out lol. I want that match-up, but deep down I know it’s not gonna happen. Valerie’s a cash cow, she’s got loads of followers, she brings a big audience and she doesn’t want to get beat by a strawweight. I’m a strawweight, she’s a flyweight, I’m willing to go up and beat her. But it’s not good for Valerie if a smaller person goes up and out-grapples them and takes them down and probably submits them. Even though I called her out I know deep down it’s not a smart business move for Bellator to let me fight her. And even if I didn’t win the fight, what does Valerie get out of it because I’m smaller than her. I did egg her on but she’s only been fighting cans. She needs to be tested against a grappler, which I’ve proven I’ve got in my fights. From her point of view, to fight a grappler that’s smaller than her I think she’d stand a better chance than if she came up against a good Flyweight Grappler. So from her point of view, I think she should take the fight to challenge herself, but from Bellator’s point of view, it’s not a smart business move. I’d still love the fight, I’d probably get well paid for it and I’d love to bring her over to Ireland. America vs Ireland in the 3arena would be pretty epic but I know the way the business works and I can’t see that fight happening. But if they want it I’m certainly up for it.”
Each of your professional bouts you have shown vast improvement in your approach to your wars in the Bellator cage, showing just how much exceptional work goes into every minute spent with SBG Ireland. How does it feel to be working with trainers who have produced some of the most explosive fighters the mixed martial arts world has ever seen?
“I like to think that every time I fight I just keep getting better and better. I do perform to the person that’s in front of me, as I said I’m excited to fight Stephanie because she’s a good striker. The better the person is, the better I’m going to show up on the day. Each performance I try to bring something new to the table, I’m always good at following a game plan. That all comes from being from SBG and being so disciplined and well trained under my coaches. It is pretty cool to be an SBG fighter, I go in with an extra bit of confidence knowing that I and my teammates are all at such high levels in that gym. I know the work we’re putting in is real work and that we’re doing the right thing because we’re getting the results. I’m a proud SBG fighter.”
With many of your teammate’s inclusion on the Bellator 275, it must be a confidence booster knowing you’ll be going to the proverbial warzone with those you sharpen your tools with regularly?
“The fight card is full of teammates. I get a few rounds in now and then with Sinead Kavanagh, but she’s a featherweight and I’m a strawweight. I train with the girls that are my size that aren’t training in Bellator but they’re all extremely high level. Dee Bagley, Katie Saull and Mia weaver. And I’m also in SBG Tullamore, I train with a girl Marie Kennedy. She’s got high-level Jiu-jitsu, I do a lot of my striking in relentless, our gym against our strikers. I’m well prepared to go to war with my teammates.”
Last but not least do you have a message for the fans that will be in attendance at the sold-out 3arena and anybody you’d like to give a shout-out to?
“I’d like to say to my fans to try and come to the show. there are tickets still for sale on Ticketmaster, you can contact me if you’re looking for tickets I can point you in the right direction. I’ll have some tickets left I’m sure on fight week, anyone who is a supporter please come and watch the show. There’s no show like a Bellator Dublin card, it won crowd of the year at the Aerial Huawei MMA awards last year. My message comes, come and see for yourself come and see what Danni McCormack can do. It’s always exciting, it’s always gonna be violent and I’m gonna put on a preference. So my shout-out is to get everyone to the show.”
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