Dillon Danis is coming back to MMA competition for the first time since before the coronavirus pandemic next month.
The famed jiu-jitsu black belt had two Bellator fights after making the switch from grappling, and has been a part of Conor McGregor’s team for some of his biggest shows. Now, over six years later he gets the chance to fight in his sport of choice again.
Danis had infamously made a little switch into the Misfits Boxing ring, where he was scheduled to face KSI twice, and actually did take on Logan Paul back in October of 2023. He was due to return against Tony Ferguson to launch the GFL back in May, but that show was cancelled.
Dillon Danis returns to MMA on Misfits Boxing undercard
Dillon Danis has confirmed that he will return to MMA competition for the first time since June of 2019 when he faces Warren Spencer in the first ever Misfits MMA bout on August 30. The pair will compete for the light-heavyweight MF MMA title, although the exact weight is unclear given it is a boxing show.
Bloody Elbow has confirmed that the bout will take place in the ring, with the plan being for Misfits MMA fights to look something like old Pride events. It is unclear if and highly unlikely that old Pride rules including soccer kicks will come back, with the show likely adopting the new unified rules.
Danis is 2-0 as a professional, and came into MMA after a glittering BJJ career that saw him win multiple gold medals at the World Championships and Pan American Championships. Meanwhile, Spencer is more of a boxer, having competed twice in the Misfits Boxing ring and a few times elsewhere.
Spencer is famously a close friend and sparring partner of Andrew Tate, the controversial influencer whose fighting return is regularly touted.
Misfits Boxing’s show features UFC royalty
Danis is far from the only Mixed Martial Artist on the card; in fact he is joined by MMA royalty throughout the night. The event is co-headlined by two bouts with major significance in the sport despite the fact that they are professional boxing fights.
It’s a double-main event on DAZN, with former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold travelling to the UK to take on Darren Till in the first headliner. Then former interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson will face Tik Tok star Salt Papi in the other.
The show also features a number of celebrity bouts, including the debut of reality TV star Joey Essex. After boxing in the gym for years, the popular Love Islander will face Portuguese influencer Numeiro, who lost his last ring outing.