Dillon Danis is finally about to return to competition.
It’s been three and a half years since Danis made his sophomore mixed martial arts (MMA) appearance in the Bellator cage. Defeating Max Humphrey via first round armbar submission, Danis remained undefeated as a prospect to watch at Welterweight despite fighting twice in 175-pound Catchweight bouts.
Still under Bellator contract, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belt is gearing up for a Jan. 14, 2023 showdown inside the boxing ring opposite YouTube star, Olajide “KSI” Olatunji. He needed permission from his current employer, however, and it came at a price.
“I don’t know if I’m allowed to talk about how I had to do that, because Showtime and DAZN are rivals, so I had to pay a hefty fee [to Bellator],” Danis told The MMA Hour. “It’s a lot of money. What I’m paying [Bellator President Scott] Coker to let me fight is more than probably every UFC [fighter makes].
“I’m still with them,” he added. “It would be different if I was with Showtime, because Showtime, they have a deal with them.”
Danis hasn’t been shy to boast or express his self-confidence since entering the MMA scene. Most notably aiding the likes of Conor McGregor with BJJ, Danis has found himself in a few altercations over the years.
Even with such a lengthy amount of time off, Danis claims to still be a hot commodity.
“I’m still the most relevant at 2-0, and I’m about to make the biggest bag out of anybody in MMA, active,” Danis said. “I’m not going to say [how much], but it’s way more than anybody. Once it comes out, then you can see. It’ll come out. I’m telling you, I’m making more money than any UFC champion right now.
“I’m 2-0 and I’m about to make more money than any guy in MMA right now,” he continued. “100 percent… Okay, ‘Izzy’ (Israel Adesanya), because he gets the pay-per-view and things like that, it actually might be close to ‘Izzy,’ and Conor’s not fighting right now. I’m telling you. I saw what Paulo [Costa] was supposed to make against [Robert] Whittaker [$70,000 show, $70,000 win], and that’s what I was getting in my first fight for Bellator. That’s nothing. It’s embarrassing. I got more than that in my first fight in Bellator.”
It remains to be seen whether or not Danis gets back to trying his hand at an MMA career. According to the 29-year-old, Bellator still has interest — pending the result of the upcoming KSI match.
“He wants me to come back to MMA, his star,” Danis said of Coker. “Obviously there’s no one in Bellator that’s going to bring that kind of noise. Who brings that much hype?
“I just think that he’s mad,” Danis concluded. “The big comeback should’ve been in MMA, which I agree, but why not just beat up a YouTuber for a f—king ton of money?”