Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images
Rising combat star Dillon Danis may not be the next Conor McGregor, but the Bellator MMA standout is really try to follow in the footsteps of his Straight Blast Gym teammate and call his own career shots.
Danis, 26, has done pretty well for himself up to this point. Through his first two Bellator appearances “El Jefe” has captured two equally impressive submission wins. While the level of competition has been nothing to write home about Danis has looked good early into his professional MMA career.
Fortunately for Danis, he has actually been able to make more headway outside of the cage over the past two years than inside of it. That’s because the world-class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) ace seems to be dictating who and where he fights, including three-straight bouts at a catchweight of 175 pounds.
“Why catchweight? Yeah because I mean, when you’re the owner, you can do what you want so why not make your own weight,” Danis recently told The Schmo (via MMA Junkie). “Why do I have to go to everybody else’s weight class, when I can make my own weight class and have my own belt and do what I want so (expletive) everybody else.
“I just say it, and it happens. Just one text message from me.”
Danis, who meets Kegan Gennrich at Bellator 238 on Jan. 25 at the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., came into the sport with high aspirations and things haven’t changed in 2020. Danis may only be taking one fight at a time, but his goals reach behind just fighting.
“I don’t know, I haven’t really thought that far yet,” said Danis of his fighting future. “I’m having fun at what I’m doing. I think it’s hard to say, just keep going on my route now. I’m kinda already half owner of the company, maybe one day I’m going to own the full company, see what we do so I think everything is just going to plan.”
Danis may only be two fights deep into his pro career but the brash New Jersey native has already created quite the relationship with Bellator president Scott Coker. This has given “El Jefe” the inside track to lobby for fights he wants and to move into position to have a bigger stake with the Viacom-owned promotion.
“Yeah I already had ownership stake,” Danis said. “Right when I came in, right when I signed, I said the only way I sign to Bellator is if I get ownership stake so that’s what I mean – Coker, he calls me his business partner, you don’t ever hear him say that about anyone else. I’ve been on the main card since every single one of my fights.”
What say you, Maniacs? Is Danis worth the investment?
Let’s hear it!