Dillon Danis
The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu bad boy brings plenty of the qualities that make a fight with Jake Paul a potential home run. For one, he has drawing power that continues to burn nearly four years after Khabib Nurmagomedov took flight after him in the most infamous post-fight brawl in MMA history. The fact that he is teammates with Conor McGregor, whom Paul has said is his ultimate target, helps his case. In terms of style, he is far more well-known for his ground game than his striking which is the trend of Paul’s opponents. Finally, and most importantly, Danis is younger and faster than Askren and brings a brashness that would help sell the pay-per-view.
Competitively, Danis is game to step into the ring. Contractually, there are more hurdles than previous opponents. Danis is signed with Bellator, and Bellator President Scott Coker has stated on multiple occasions that it would need to be a two-fight deal with the former wrestler Paul being willing to come over and compete in MMA as well. The situation is understandable, Danis is one of a handful of fighters who brings in viewers and has not fought in two years. Coker and the promotion understandably do not want to have him compete outside the company for nothing in return. However, at a time when Paul has so many options in the ring, it is hard to imagine him agreeing to hurt himself and his stock by taking a detour in the cage. For that reason alone, the entire matchup between Paul and Danis could be a non-starter unless Paul’s side were to push for it and Triller likely agreeing to give Bellator a cut of the revenue to loan Danis for the event.
