Dillon Danis was in full promotional mode, oversized sunglasses and all, ahead of his MMA debut at Bellator 198 this weekend.
Chicago, IL — Dillon Danis is making his long awaited MMA debut at Bellator 198 in Chicago this weekend. Danis, a highly touted jiu-jitsu ace and training partner of Conor McGregor, has been hyped for nearly a year by Bellator. News of his signing broke in March — March 2017, that is. It was a CM Punk like pace getting to the cage, but this Friday, it’s finally time. Danis will enter the cage against the 2-3 Kyle Walker, and despite zero MMA fights to his name, Danis is the heavy favorite.
Cageside Press got a chance to catch some of Danis ahead of Saturday’s bout, and he told members of the press that he was in the sport to go to the top. He also took some time out to compliment host city Chicago, calling the people there “very gritty, hard working people.”
“I really enjoy Chicago,” he added.
Danis has been in town just a couple of days, and media has been the focus. Oversized shades in tow, he pulled a few tricks from teammate McGregor’s textbook (as an aside, Danis opted not to comment on Conor’s recent antics).
“I’m the only one that anybody really cares about,” he claimed. “So they’re putting me [out there], I’m all in the media. I’m doing all the heavy lifting I feel like.”
Danis is cool, calm, and collected prior to the fight, he’d have you know. “I feel great. I feel like there’s an aura from the fighters,” he explained, “everybody’s so like nervous and stuff like that, and I just feel fresh. To be honest, I feel great, I don’t know why everybody else is feeling that way.”
As far as his opponent, Walker, is concerned, well, there is no opponent. “I believe there’s no opponent,” Danis explained. “Like Bruce Lee said, you’re in there against yourself.”
As for how the bout goes down, “I do envision a submission in the first round, but I honestly feel like I could finish him from anywhere,” the jiu-jitsu expert said. “It could be on the feet. Anywhere. I feel very confident in my well-roundedness. We’ll see what I want to do when I’m in there. I might decide in the moment.”
Catch Dillon Danis making his debut at Bellator 198, this Saturday at the AllState Arena in Chicago, IL. The main card airs live and free on the Paramount Network starting at 9PM ET.
