Conor McGregor’s jiu-jitsu trainer, Dillon Danis, signs with Bellator MMA

A close personal friend of Conor McGregor’s and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has just inked a deal with Bellator MMA.

Bellator MMA’s roster just got a little bit deeper — and Featherweight star James Gallagher is no longer the only friend of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Conor McGregor to join the promotion — as the “Notorious” Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer, Dillon Danis, was recently inked to a deal.

Indeed, as first reported by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Danis — who former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones once branded a “douchebag” — has decided to ply his black belt-level jiu-jitsu skills in a real mixed martial arts (MMA) bout, deciding Bellator would be the right place to make his professional debut.

“I want to fight the best, just like Conor does. We’re different people, though we’re very like-minded. We set high goals and we aren’t afraid to try to achieve. I obviously respect what he has accomplished and will accomplish in the future. He’s incredible and the aura of confidence he has is amazing. He’s a champion for a reason. But, I want to go down my own path and do it my way.”

Danis lives in New York and earned his black belt under the tutelage of Marcelo Garcia. And he has already been an IBJJF world champion as a brown belt at only 23 years old. That’s just the start for Danis, though, as he’s planning to have his first Bellator fight before 2017 is done.

To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.

A close personal friend of Conor McGregor’s and a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt has just inked a deal with Bellator MMA.

Bellator MMA’s roster just got a little bit deeper — and Featherweight star James Gallagher is no longer the only friend of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight champion Conor McGregor to join the promotion — as the “Notorious” Brazilian jiu-jitsu trainer, Dillon Danis, was recently inked to a deal.

Indeed, as first reported by Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports, Danis — who former UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones once branded a “douchebag” — has decided to ply his black belt-level jiu-jitsu skills in a real mixed martial arts (MMA) bout, deciding Bellator would be the right place to make his professional debut.

“I want to fight the best, just like Conor does. We’re different people, though we’re very like-minded. We set high goals and we aren’t afraid to try to achieve. I obviously respect what he has accomplished and will accomplish in the future. He’s incredible and the aura of confidence he has is amazing. He’s a champion for a reason. But, I want to go down my own path and do it my way.”

Danis lives in New York and earned his black belt under the tutelage of Marcelo Garcia. And he has already been an IBJJF world champion as a brown belt at only 23 years old. That’s just the start for Danis, though, as he’s planning to have his first Bellator fight before 2017 is done.

To check out the latest Bellator MMA-related news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive news archive right here.