THACKERVILLE, Okla. – If the price is right, Bellator bantamweight champion Darrion Caldwell could be a future arrival in the featherweight division.

After all, it’s not like he’ll ever get his due to as a top bantamweight while under the Bellator banner, he reasoned.

In Friday’s Bellator 195 headliner, Caldwell (12-1 MMA, 9-1 BMMA) posted his first title defense – in rather quick fashion – after tapping out challenger Leandro Higo (18-4 MMA, 1-2 BMMA) via first-round guillotine in the Paramount-televised headliner at WinStar World Casino and Resort in Thackerville, Okla.

After the fight, MMAjunkie caught up with Caldwell, who explained why he’ll never get his due while fighting in the UFC’s shadow.

“There’s not that much respect here for guys with Bellator,” said Caldwell, who’s No. 9 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA bantamweight rankings. “Everyone thinks the UFC is the NFL of MMA. Whenever you’ve got UFC guys – like a T.J. Dillashaw and Cody Garbrandt – as a champion, they’re always going to be like, ‘You’re not going to be better than this guy because he’s in the UFC.’

“But f-ck those guys. I’ll beat them up too.”

That’s why the 30-year-old, who spent the first half of his career at featherweight, may return to 145 pounds – as soon as his next fight.

“Cash talks, and bullsh-t walks a thousand miles,” he said. “I’m going to let (Bellator President) Scott Coker and my manager, David Martin, put the pieces together.

“If that’s where they want to see me at – that’s where the fans want to see me at – then let’s do it.”

After submitting Higo – which marked Caldwell’s third straight victory since a loss to Bellator 195 co-main-event winner Joe Taimanglo (24-8-1 MMA, 7-4 BMMA) in 2016 – Caldwell had a brief cageside encounter with Higo’s teammates, Bellator vets Patricky Freire and Patricio Freire.

Would he entertain a fight with either? Would he pursue it?

“For what? I’m the champion,” he said. “These guys want to fight me. As you see, Patricio – he wants to fight me. I don’t mind beating up the ‘Pitbull’ brothers, but again, it’s got to be worth my time.”

Taimanglo, who edged ex-titleholder Joe Warren (15-7 MMA, 13-6 BMMA) in Bellator 195’s co-headliner, also mentioned he’d like to run it back with Caldwell. They’ve got one win apiece in their series. Is a trilogy in store?

“‘Baby Joe’ don’t want these problems,” Caldwell said. ” … Joe doesn’t stand a chance. It doesn’t go all five rounds. He gasses out. He’s going to melt. ‘Baby Joe’ is like some chocolate.”

For more on Bellator 195, check out the MMA Events section of the site.