Tag: Dillon Danis

After booking boxing match, Jake Paul and Ben Askren say Dillon Danis fears YouTube star

It was supposed to be Dillon Danis fighting Jake Paul, so why is Ben Askren boxing the YouTube star instead?

It wasn’t long ago that [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] was throwing toilet paper rolls at [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] in a drive-by stunt that appeared staged for the cameras, all to build toward a long-talked about boxing match between the YouTube star and Bellator fighter.

Six weeks later, Paul has a boxing match booked against an MMA fighter, but it’s not Danis he’ll meet inside the ring. Instead, former UFC fighter and welterweight champion of Bellator and ONE Championship [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] will take on Paul in an eight-round match set for pay-per-view on April 17.

Just before the fight was official Tuesday morning, Danis went on Twitter to say “Jake Paul literally ran” from him and called the Askren fight “truly embarrassing.” After the announcement, Danis shared a screen grab of a Jan. 3 direct message exchange with Paul in which he cited a knee injury – Danis had reconstructive surgery last March – for wanting a June date and scoffing at an apparent offer.

“my man your manager literally talks to my manager. dm and email isn’t how business is done, you’re making false claims about offers when i literally talk to my manager and what you’re saying is far from the truth. you know i had a knee injury, nothing i can do about that. i said i want junkie, you know what i bring to the table and you’d be wasting your time fighting anyone else….. june gives you a longer lease on life, enjoy it before i end it”

“the offer that was sent to my manager was pure dog sh*t and you know it”

Paul, however, is calling BS all around.

“I put the biggest offer he’s ever received on the table – seven figures,” Paul told ESPN. “We know he’s probably getting 50 to 100K to fight in Bellator. This is the biggest offer. He lives at his mom’s house. That’s a fact. This guy lives with his mom somewhere in New York or New Jersey. He wanted so badly to fight in the summer, I think because he wanted to have extra months to train because of his ‘knee injury,’ but that knee injury was … literally 15 months ago, so I don’t get how you can still blame that. Plus he’s posting videos of himself sparring on his Instagram. …

“I think legitimately Dillon knows how good my hands are, and he’s trolling, commenting. He knows how to use social media. But when the rubber meets the road, this guy can’t strike, either. He’s a jiu-jitsu guy.”

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Whatever the true reason might be, it ends up being 36-year-old Askren coming out of retirement to make his boxing debut. After hip replacement surgery last year, Askren will fight 24-year-old Paul, who has two professional boxing wins against other celebrities. For his work, Askren said he will make more money than he’s “ever been paid for a single fight.”

At the end of the day, Askren thinks Danis doesn’t want any part of a fight with Paul.

“Dillon Danis is a little b*tch. I think he’s legit scared of Jake Paul,” Askren told ESPN. “I can’t prove that. I have no proof for you. But I’m pretty good at getting feelings in situations. My feeling is that, yes, Jake Paul actually wanted to fight Dillon Danis because he’s a little b*tch, and Dillon Danis is actually scared of Jake Paul legitimately. So I do think I was second pick.”

Danis, famous for helping to train Conor McGregor in jiu-jitsu, has just two pro MMA fights on his record, both submission victories for Bellator. His last win was by first-round armbar over Max Humphrey in June 2019 at Bellator 222.

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Jake Paul spoofs Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz and other MMA fighters in hilarious video

Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Michael Bisping, Ben Askren, and even UFC president Dana White all got roasted in this one.

Here’s the thing about [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag]: If you’re telling me that the guy is famous in the first place for being good at social media, then I want to see the content to prove it.

I think we got some of that Wednesday.

The YouTube star-turned-professional boxer spoofed some of the biggest names in MMA, including [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag], [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag], [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag], and yes, even UFC president Dana White – all of whom had something to say about Paul in recent weeks with the exception of McGregor.

You can watch Paul’s “MMA Chronicles Part 1” in the video below, but fair warning that there’s a lot of NSFW language:

What did you think? I really hate how much I thought that was funny, but it was.

Paul’s video, of course, is a continued effort to line up a boxing match with an MMA fighter, which he’s been doing ever since knocking out former NBA star Nate Robinson last month on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view. Paul has been pushing the envelope to get McGregor to bite, but so far he’s been unsuccessful. He’s also gone after McGregor’s teammate Danis.

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As of now, it appears Paul could be settling for a boxing match with Askren on March 28, though nothing is official despite Askren publicly accepting his challenge.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

Shocker! Sure looks like Jake Paul’s water balloon drive-by on Dillon Danis was staged

New footage all but confirms what most of us already thought.

In what should come as no surprise to anybody, the water balloon drive-by stunt that YouTuber [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] pulled on Bellator fighter [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] earlier this week was probably staged.

We say “probably” because we can’t say for sure, but new footage released by Showtime on Thursday speaks for itself.

The rawness of the original video, likely shot on a cell phone, made it seem like maaaybe it was real, but there was instant skepticism once we knew the attack (air quotes) took place outside a media company’s offices in Santa Monica, Calif., that Showtime uses. The new professionally shot footage, while Danis was filming “Below the Belt” with Brendan Schaub, makes things pretty clear.

Take a look and judge for yourself (via Twitter):

Gotta love how everyone is pretty calm, Danis starts laughing, and Schaub immediately starts selling a fight between Paul and Danis.

Check, check, and check. Who could’ve seen this coming?

This took place one day after Paul issued a gross callout of Conor McGregor, Danis’ friend and teammate, in which he took a personal shot at McGregor’s fiancee and claimed to have a made a $50 million offer to fight the former UFC champ-champ.

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Paul, who is famous in the first place for reasons I don’t understand, has amplified his calls to fight McGregor or Danis in boxing ever since he knocked out former NBA star Nate Robinson last month on the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view in his second pro (celebrity) fight.

So far, neither McGregor nor Danis has elected to retaliate (air quotes).

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Video: Jake Paul attacks Conor McGregor teammate Dillon Danis with projectiles in drive-by

Jake Paul is doing everything in his power to get the attention of Conor McGregor.

[autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] is doing everything in his power to get the attention of [autotag]Conor Mcgregor[/autotag].

A social media video posted by Paul on Tuesday shows the YouTuber-turned-boxer pelting McGregor teammate and Bellator fighter [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] with water balloons and other projectiles during the filming of an unknown project.

According to CBS Sports Network analyst Luke Thomas, the location, Malka studios in Santa Monica, Calif., is used by Showtime to film various different content.

The video shows Paul, sitting in the back of a pickup truck, pull up and begin hurling water balloons, other objects, and expletives at Danis and those standing around him. As Danis emerges from the crowd and charges at the vehicle, Paul instructs the driver to pull away. Danis hurls one of the objects – perhaps a toilet paper roll – back at the truck as it peels down the street.

Paul’s stunt comes less than 24 hours after the 23-year-old social media influencer issued a profane and personal callout of McGregor. In that video, Paul claimed to have offered McGregor $50 million for a boxing match. He also insulted McGregor’s fiance, Dee Devlin, and UFC president Dana White.

In addition to the video callout, Paul posted a document appearing to be terms of the bout agreement he claims he submitted to McGregor. The document had the $50 million amount listed, as well as the terms under which the bout would be contested.

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Paul most recently competed in the co-main event of the Mike Tyson vs. Roy Jones Jr. pay-per-view. In under two rounds, Paul flattened former NBA player Nate Robinson with a brutal knockout. He then challenged McGregor and Danis to a boxing match.

Since then, Paul has been called out by many athletes throughout the sports world. His brother, Logan, recently booked a boxing exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather.

McGregor’s lone boxing match came against Mayweather in the lucrative “Money Fight” in August 2017. Mayweather finished McGregor by standing TKO in Round 10.

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Bellator’s Scott Coker: Ideally, Jake Paul and Dillon Danis would do boxing – and MMA fight

Bellator president Scott Coker is at least willing to make a Dillon Danis vs. Jake Paul boxing match under the right circumstances.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – It’s safe to say Bellator president Scott Coker is at least willing to make a [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] boxing match happen if all parties are interested.

Danis and YouTube sensation-turned-boxer Paul have been going back-and-forth for the past couple of years, and their rivalry was re-ignited when Paul called out the Bellator prospect following his knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson on the Mike Tyson-Roy Jones Jr. card last month.

Danis was quick to respond, and while Coker would love it if Paul came to MMA, he thinks some sort of fight between them is inevitable.

“Believe me, those calls have been happening for a year,” Coker told MMA Junkie. “I’m sure Dillon would love to fight him. My only thought is again, why do the guys always have to go to boxing? Why don’t you come to MMA? Why don’t you test yourself here as a complete fighter, as a mixed martial artist. If they’re willing to do that, maybe it’s one for one, (and) we sign a two-fight contract. We’ll let them go do boxing and come back and do MMA, then I think that’s a little more appealing for us.

“But never say never, and a lot has to do with what Dillon wants to do, but he’s gung-ho. He’s all for it. These guys have been barking at each other for two years now, and I’m sure at some point it’ll happen. What does it look like? I don’t know, but I’m sure at some point something will happen. Whether we do it or they end up in a parking lot somewhere, it’s gonna happen, so we’ll see.”

Danis, who made quick work of his first two Bellator opponents, hasn’t competed since June 2019 as he’s been sidelined due to reconstructive knee surgery in March. Bellator is yet to announce a date for his return.

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Scott Coker: Dillon Danis is a gamer, but won’t get Bellator booking until healthy

Scott Coker isn’t thinking about who’s next for Dillon Danis until he’s cleared to fight.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – Scott Coker isn’t thinking about who’s next for [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] until he’s cleared to fight.

Danis (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) underwent reconstructive knee surgery in March and has been sidelined ever since. He was scheduled to fight Jan. 25 at Bellator 238, but withdrew from the card after injuring his knee while helping Conor McGregor prepare for his UFC 246 fight against Donald Cerrone.

Despite being only 2-0, Danis continuously gets called out, most recently at Bellator 249, where welterweights Aviv Gozali and Kemran Lachinov, who both picked up wins, proceeded to call his name.

Speaking at the post-fight news conference, Bellator president Coker said he didn’t have much of an update on Danis’ health, but knows that once the controversial jiu-jitsu ace returns, he won’t be short on names who want to get a crack at him.

“I’m not even thinking about opponents for Dillon because I’m not sure if he’s healthy enough to fight yet because he had surgery,” Coker said. “I believe and he was recovering and doing rehab and then going through the whole COVID thing, and I’m sure it was very difficult to rehab during this time. So once we have a conversation and he gives us a date that he can fight, we’ll put the fight together and then we’ll decide who he fights.

“Listen, he’s a gamer. He’s going to come out and he’s going to want to show what he can do, as well. And keep in mind, a lot of people give him slack, but he only has how many fights? Just a handful of fights. He doesn’t have a big record. He’s not a seasoned veteran or even a journeyman at this point. He’s basically starting his MMA career. But if he gets you on the ground with anybody, I think he’s dangerous.”

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Dalton Rosta calls out ‘troll’ Dillon Danis after Bellator 243 win: ‘He’s not as good as he says he is’

Dalton Rosta extended his unbeaten pro record to 3-0 at Bellator 243, then called out fellow undefeated prospect Dillon Danis.

UNCASVILLE, Conn. – [autotag]Dalton Rosta[/autotag] made it three wins in a row as a Bellator fighter as he claimed a first-round TKO win over debutant Mark Gardner at Bellator 243, then set his sights on one of the roster’s notable names.

Speaking to reporters, including MMA Junkie, after his preliminary card win at Mohegan Sun Arena, Rosta (3-0 MMA, 3-0 BMMA) said he’d love the opportunity to take on [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag], who hasn’t fought since June 2019.

“I don’t know if it made the TV or not, but I got on the camera at the end there and I asked – well, I didn’t ask – I called out Dillon Danis,” he said. “He’s been fighting at catchweight at 175-180 (pounds). He’s never even made it down to 170 yet, I believe. He’s calling out a lot of guys he can’t even fight – guys that are UFC champs and world champion boxers and stuff like that. He’s calling these guys out to be a troll on social media.”

With Danis (2-0 MMA, 2-0 BMMA) a seasoned grappler, former NCAA wrestler Rosta said he’s perfectly placed to offer the next test for Danis inside the Bellator cage, and said he’d put a stop to the hype surrounding Conor McGregor’s teammate,

“He’s 2-0, I’m 3-0. We’re both in the same organization. In my eyes, he’s a middleweight until he makes that 170-pound limit. So I would love that fight. I would love to show everybody that he’s not as good as he says he is, and stop that hype train.”

Recap Rosta’s full post-fight press conference via the video above.

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Dillon Danis set himself up to be roasted with this Khamzat Chimaev tweet

“He did your whole career inside 10 days.”

[autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] obviously in an ace when it comes to Brazilian jiu-jitsu. His resume in that department speaks for itself.

As for MMA, though, the jury is still out on the Bellator prospect. Yes, Danis talks a big game (no surprise since he worships friend and mentor Conor McGregor). But we’ve only seen him compete twice since his debut in April 2018, although it’s worth noting that knee surgery last year hasn’t helped his cause.

Which brings us to Saturday night and UFC on ESPN 14, where [autotag]Khamzat Chimaev[/autotag] made history by winning his second fight in 10 days to set a promotional record (outside of one-night tournaments back in the day). The thing with Chimaev, and why everyone is raving about him, is that he’s been so impressive on the mat, simply mauling both of his opponents until winning by submission and with vicious ground-and-pound, respectively.

Danis clearly is paying attention and after Chimaev’s win took to Twitter to say a little something.

i’d sub Chimaev easy 😂

Danis really set himself up with that one. A guy with two fights in two years talking trash about a guy who’s won two fights in 10 days? Twitter didn’t let him off the hook, either.

Check out these replies:

Danis even got a response from Chimaev.

I smash you with my eyes closed!!!

Sometimes it’s just better to say nothing at all.

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Conor McGregor, Israel Adesanya, Dillon Danis among fighters pushing #StaySafe movement

Dozens of fighters under the Paradigm Sports Management umbrella came together to send messages of support to fans Wednesday.

Dozens of fighters under the Paradigm Sports Management umbrella came together to send messages of support to fans Wednesday – and to remind everyone to stay safe.

Since the global coronavirus pandemic has shut down much of the world and ushered in new terms like “social distancing,” fighters are left largely training on their own – and without fights to look forward to, for the most part.

Many of Paradigm’s standouts, including former UFC dual champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], current middleweight champ [autotag]Israel Adesanya[/autotag], former middleweight champ [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] and Bellator star [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag] offered up encouragement and reminders in a mashup video posted to Paradigm’s social media pages.

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Check out the video below:

View this post on Instagram

We will get through this together.

A post shared by Paradigm Sports Management (@paradigmsm) on

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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House B, with Diaz brothers and Sean O’Malley, leads pack on MMA Junkie’s fighter house lockdown poll

House B seems to be a popular choice, wonder why…

Well, the people have spoken.

In a world where most of us have been told by their governments to practice social distancing and stay in our homes to help stop the spread of COVID-19,  MMA Junkie asked its reader which hypothetical fighter house they would rather spend lockdown in to ride out these tough times in the global pandemic.

The following houses were the options in play:

  • House A: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], [autotag]Artem Lobov[/autotag], [autotag]Dillon Danis[/autotag]
  • House B: [autotag]Nick Diaz[/autotag], [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag], [autotag]Sean O’Malley[/autotag]
  • House C: [autotag]Demetrious Johnson[/autotag], [autotag]Quinton Jackson[/autotag], [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag]
  • House D: [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], [autotag]Derrick Lewis[/autotag], [autotag]Tai Tuivasa[/autotag]

From a deep dive into the comment section on MMA Junkie’s Instagram, House B seemed to be the post popular choice followed by House D, House C, and House A. Do you agree with the fan picks?

Below you can find our reader’s choices on which fighter house they would rather spend lockdown in: