Strongman Dan Strauss will face the monster Matheus Diniz at Grapplefest 3; here's how the British black belt sees it going down. 

First off, it seems you’re the man to call when there’s a monster that needs an opponent! Where would you rank Diniz among your toughest opponents? 

Diniz is an absolute beast and someone I consider as one of the best in the world right now. It would be hard to argue that he isn't my toughest opponent ever. 

The benefit of grappling Diniz is he’s quite prolific and there’s a lot of footage of him out there. Do you think he’ll have an idea of what to expect from you and the challenges you offer, and that he’ll have done his homework? 

I have no idea. It's going to be down to the individual and if they're someone who likes to try and study their opponent first. I have no idea but if I had to hazard a guess I would imagine that he won't be worrying too much about studying my game. 

Stylistically you’re very similar in many ways. What do you think your keys to victory will be in this match? 

We're both physical guys and he's a Marcelo black belt, whereas I've never trained with Marcelo but he's been the biggest influence in my jiu jitsu game so it's interesting. Matheus is a well-rounded grappler who I don't see as having many big holes in his game. So there's no obvious key to victory. We're going to engage on Saturday night and I'm going to try and solve that puzzle there and then.  

It’s well known that you’re big into your strongman-style training, especially grip training. How does your training look at the moment and do you taper off in the run up to a big match or tournament? 

Yes. I taper down the heavy lifting as I get towards a competition and instead just focus on moving around and keeping my body in as good a condition as can be. 

Singlet, vale tudo shorts, jean shorts, Saku mask... any hints as to your choice of attire for this bout? 

You're going to have to wait and see! 

You’ve been very active in events like Polaris and Quintet, but you hinted at a possible appearance at the next European ADCC Trials. Is that still in your plans? 

ADCC is the Olympics of grappling and my biggest competitive goal. So il be looking to qualify at the next trials and go in hard for 2019 worlds. 

Finally, what can fans expect from your match with Matheus Diniz on Grapplefest 3 on Nov 24?

Hopefully a dynamic and exciting match.

Click here to watch Dan Strauss vs Matheuz Diniz on Grapplefest 3.