The announcement follows Eddie Hall‘s professional MMA debut last year against fellow World’s Strongest Man Mariusz Pudzianowski. The fight lasted only 30 seconds, with Hall winning via TKO after hard ground-and-pound, although the result sparked debate when Pudzianowski complained about illegal strikes.
Since then, Eddie Hall’s name has been associated with countless crossover fights. Fans speculated about a potential fight with Francis Ngannou before the heavyweight was scheduled to face Philipe Lins on the Netflix MMA card. With another fight now confirmed for June, the strongman’s return once again opens the door for unusual matchups.
A meeting with Darren Till would undoubtedly fit the pattern. Till has competed in boxing since leaving the UFC and has been involved in multiple crossover call-outs, keeping his name in the spotlight whenever huge exhibition-style fights are proposed. The two have also traded comments in interviews before, mostly joking about possible fights, which only fueled fan interest.
For now, Eddie Hall’s attention is focused on the June 13 event in Manchester, but his words suggest that he is already thinking about what comes next. If the return goes as planned, a fight with Darren Till may soon become one of the most highly anticipated crossover matches in British combat sports. But do you know that there was another fighter that the strongman also wanted to face?
Eddie Hall wanted a one-on-one with the ‘most hated guy in MMA’
Eddie Hall’s plans for June may involve Darren Till, but the strongman also had another opponent. In fact, before the latest return announcement, he openly admitted that there was one guy he truly wanted to face, and it wasn’t a former UFC striker—it was one of the most controversial figures in MMA.
“I really want to fight Dillon Danis,” Hall told DuelBits. “He’s got to be the most hated guy in MMA. I can’t believe how arrogant he is.
“He says that he seriously thinks he can take me, but he’s deluded. Danis is definitely running scared; if he wasn’t, then he would’ve signed a contract to fight me by now.”
At the time, the clash seemed impossible due to the massive size disparity, but the idea still caught attention among fans who enjoy crossover fights. Danis has remained busy with grappling fights and special events, including bookings against Colby Covington and Arman Tsarukyan, which only adds to the uncertainty around whether a clash with Hall will ever happen.
Still, with the strongman talking about big fights after June, it wouldn’t be surprising if that old callout comes back into the conversation.