WWE's Carmelo Hayes Talks Meeting Ilja Dragunov's Aggression at NXT No Mercy, Street Profits, and More

WWE NXT Champion Carmelo Hayes will put his Title on the line at No Mercy tonight against Ilja Dragunov, and if the last clash was anything to go by, tonight's rematch will be quite the physical and at times brutal match-up. Hayes has never lacked for challengers during his Championship reign, but Dragunov matches are always a beast unto themselves. ComicBook.com recently had the chance to speak to Hayes about taking on Dragunov at No Mercy, and Hayes is fully intent on meeting Dragunov's aggression and intensity head-on. We also happened to talk about that recent encounter with the Street Profits, and if a potential alliance could happen down the line.

First though we wanted to talk about No Mercy, and while Hayes came out on top the last time they faced each other, he's not resting on his laurels, and plans on meeting that same intensity that Dragunov is known for. "I'll tell you what, though, as far as him raising his level of anger and aggression, I think that that's what I need to do to meet him in the middle because, I mean, nobody's going to match Ilja Dragunov, but after our first encounter, I realized that I wasn't going to do my normal stuff," Hayes said.

"I was going to have to get in there, and I was going to have to fight him, I was going to have to do his style. So now that I'm more prepared going into this with No Mercy, I think that that's what I got to bring to the table. I got to go at him with what he brings at me. As far as what he brings out at me, pretty much just that, he makes you realize that you are in a fight, and you either fight back, or you get eaten alive. And I've never been, and I refuse to be eaten alive, and that's why I'm Champion," Hayes said.

Part of what makes Dragunov such a complex opponent is the unpredictability of his arsenal, and though Hayes isn't shying away from anything, there are a few moves he's on the lookout for. "I wouldn't say it's anything in particular, just because he's so unpredictable. You don't know what to expect," Hayes said. "Just the fact that you've got to figure out what it takes to beat him. I mean, what's going to keep him down, or what's going to keep him down long enough so I can get to the top rope and hit nothing but net? What's going to hurt him?"

"He seems like ... You can't break the guy. That's why, going into this match, I'm coming in with a different IQ. Maybe it's to survive long enough to get him tired, and then turn it up on him or just to avoid certain things. I mean, that powerbomb almost took me out that last time. And, I mean, that torpedo, he hit me with it two or three times already, not in a match, thankfully, but I need to avoid that. There are a lot of things I'm trying to avoid in this match," Hayes said.

No Mercy is clearly Hayes' focus, but a segment with the Street Profits did get people talking about what a partnership between the three stars could look like, especially now that the Street Profits are part of an alliance with Bobby Lashley. Hayes doesn't lock anything down, though there is very much mutual respect between them all.

"I mean, those are all guys that I'm very, very high on, and that I know vice versa, they've been very high on Trick and I as well. Shoot, I wish the best for them. And as of right now, my main focus is what I'm doing here in NXT. I'm focused on just the NXT Championship run," Hayes said. "I'm focused on holding the company on my back, I'm focused on that. So it's hard for me to have one eye over here, one eye over here. A lot of people are doing that for me, but little do they know, I'm just so solely focused on what I'm doing here in NXT, and that's being the NXT Champion and defending this Championship against Ilja Dragunov at No Mercy," Hayes said. You can find the No Mercy card below.

NXT Championship Match: Carmelo Hayes (C) vs. Ilja Dragunov

NXT Women's Championship Extreme Rules Match: Becky Lynch (C) vs. Tiffany Stratton

NXT North American Championship Match: Dominik Mysterio (C) vs. Trick Williams

NXT Heritage Cup Match: Noam Dar (C) vs. Butch

NXT Tag Team Championship Fatal 4-Way Match: Tony D'Angelo and Stacks (C) vs. The Creed Brothers vs. Angel Garza and Humberto Carrillo vs. Bronco Nima and Lucien Price

Bron Breakker vs Baron Corbin

Blair Davenport vs. Kelani Jordan

WWE No Mercy kicks off at 8:00 PM EST later today and will stream live on Peacock.

What do you want to see next for Hayes in NXT? Let us know in the comments and as always you can talk all things wrestling with me on Threads @mattaguilarcb!