Dillon Danis firmly denies substance abuse claims after viral photos emerge. Image via: Matt McNulty/ Getty Images Dillon Danis is straightaway denying the story that’s been spreading online for days, and his defense comes down to something surprisingly simple. The MMA fighter and reality TV regular says a pair of viral photos supposedly showing him snorting a white substance aren’t him at all, and he’s pointing to his tattoos as proof.The images started making the rounds right after Danis pulled out of his Aug. 29 fight against Mike Perry, citing a gruesome arm injury. That timing alone was enough for fans online to connect the two stories, assuming a night of partying led to an excuse and then a pullout. The theory spread fast, and so did the backlash.
Dillon Danis denies alleged substance abuse after viral photos spark speculation
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Danis laid out his case plainly. The man in the photos, he says, doesn’t have the same tattoos he does, which he calls an obvious giveaway that the images are fake. He didn’t mince words about it, “To be completely clear: those photos are not me,” he told TMZ, adding that anyone passing them off as real is spreading false information. “And anyone presenting them as authentic images of me is spreading false information.”He was just as direct about the timing question. Danis says the withdrawal from his fight with Mike Perry had nothing to do with the photos or the narrative building around them. To back that up, he later posted graphic footage of the injury itself, an open wound he claims is what actually forced him off the card in the first place.Check out the viral photos here-
How the Mike Perry fallout fed the rumors
The bout falling apart with barely 48 hours’ notice left Perry without an opponent, and he made no secret of his frustration over the late withdrawal. That frustration grew once the viral photo surfaced, giving critics a reason to question whether Danis was ever being straight about the injury at all.UFC veteran Brandon Jenkins stepped in as a short notice replacement and made the most of the opportunity, taking the win after Perry dislocated his shoulder and went down to a first round TKO.None of this is new territory for Danis. He’s been at the center of chaos before, most notably when Dana White banned him from UFC events following a cageside brawl with members of Islam Makhachev’s team at UFC 322 last November.