Alex Pereira hopes to see Dillon Danis one day compete inside the Octagon.
On Saturday night, Alex Pereira will step into the UFC 295 main event for his third world title fight in less than a year. After claiming the middleweight championship with a stunning fifth-round knockout of Israel Adesanya last year, the ‘Brazilian Boogeyman’ will look to become a two-division titleholder as he challenges the returning Jiri Prochazka for the vacant light heavyweight strap.
Addressing members of the press during Wednesday’s UFC 295 media day, Alex Pereira was asked about his relationship with embattled BJJ specialist Dillon Danis. ‘Poatan’ had worked with Danis in the weeks leading up to the outspoken star’s grudge match with Logan Paul. Since then, Danis has expressed a strong interest in signing with the UFC, something Pereira fully supports.
“We did two night sessions, one before the [Jan] Blachowicz fight which was MMA training, and another one for this fight he was having with Logan [Paul],” Pereira said when asked about his experience working with Danis.
“First, we did an MMA session and I could see that he’s a very talented kid. We had two night sessions. He’s a great guy and the fact that he’s actually in negotiations with the UFC, or trying to get in, I think is awesome and I’m rooting for him.”
Alex Pereira is rooting for Dillon Danis to get into the UFC
#UFC295
“He’s a very talented kid. We had two [training] sessions. He’s a great guy.” pic.twitter.com/SEY1H53258
— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting) November 8, 2023
Dana White Offers a Curious Answer When Asked About Signing Dillon Danis
It’s not the first time Alex Pereira has fielded questions regarding his work with Danis. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, the former UFC middleweight champ was very complimentary of Danis’ efforts.
“It was great training, he said he enjoyed rounds with a specific type of sparring; it was very nice training. It was the second time because the first time we trained was a few months ago. Dillon was able to pick up a lot of stuff today, so it was very good,” Pereira said during an appearance on The MMA Hour.
Dillon Danis working with Alex Pereira
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) September 27, 2023
During a Power Slap press conference last month, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about potentially signing Danis to the roster. “I don’t know, I haven’t even actually thought about that,” White said, before quickly turning his attention to the next question. The fact that White skirted around the question so fast only added to the speculation that the New Jersey native had already been in talks with the promotion.
Dillon Danis scored back-to-back first-round submissions under the Bellator MMA banner in 2019 but has been absent from mixed martial arts since then. His scrap with Logan Paul under the Misfits Boxing banner left a lot to be desired, but it proved without a shadow of a doubt that Danis can sell a fight, making him a potentially valuable asset for Dana White and Co.
Would you like to see Dillon Danis compete inside the Octagon?