Well, Dillon Danis finally has a fight, though it won’t be in the cage.
The occasional Bellator MMA fighter will face KSI at the OVO Arena at Wembley in London, England on January 14, 2023. The match-up was announced during Misfits Boxing 3 on Saturday, with an in-ring face-off between Danis and KSI resulting in an unintelligible exchange of trash talk.
KSI vs. Danis is expected to headline Misfits Boxing 4, which will air live on DAZN Pay-Per-View.
Bellator officials confirmed to Cageside Press on Saturday that the jiu-jitsu expert remains under contract with the promotion, and was on loan and taking the opportunity in boxing with the promotion’s permission.
🔥 This about to be 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐀𝐍𝐄! @KSI will take on @dillondanis at the OVO Arena, Wembley, on January 14th, live on DAZN PPV 🧨#KSIDanis | January 14th | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/ueHxUCKxuf
— Misfits Boxing (@MisfitsBoxing) November 20, 2022
The announcement comes just a day after Danis could be seen throwing a soft left hand at KSI during the Misfits Boxing 3 weigh-in in Austin, Texas. While many saw the encounter as staged, less staged — maybe — was former Bellator fighter Anthony Taylor cracking Danis with a punch in the parking lot.
Either way, Danis appears ready to do something other than troll online for the first time since 2019, when he last competed under the Bellator banner. Danis has gotten into multiple skirmishes in the ensuing years, with no fights emerging until now.
Known for his top tier grappling and serving as jiu-jitsu coach for Conor McGregor, Danis made his debut for Bellator MMA in 2018, submitting little-known Kyle Walker with a toe hold. The following year, Danis put away Max Humphrey with an arm-bar, and has not been seen in action since.
He’ll be making his boxing debut against KSI, a Youtube entertainer who first stepped into the ring in 2018 as an amateur. After a heavily promoted amateur contest against Logan Paul ended in a draw, the Brit turned pro, and has amassed a 3-0 record including a victory against Paul in a 2019 rematch.
KSI appears to be taking the Jake Paul route, starting his career against fellow entertainers, and now targeting mixed martial artists not exactly known for their striking. If he graduates to retired champs, he’ll have completed the playbook.
