Dillon Danis claims that he is earning more than any other fighter on the Bellator roster, despite never competing in a pro-MMA fight.
Danis put ink to paper with Bellator two weeks ago, yet has refrained from playing the part of the humble new kid on the block.
Speaking on Monday’s episode of The MMA Hour, the Marcelo Garcia black belt claimed that he is the most famous fighter in the promotion – a claim which will invariably be a head-scratcher for those accustomed with such legendary names as Fedor Emelianenko, Chael Sonnen, Rory MacDonald and Wanderlei Silva, to name but few.
Danis upped the ante further when he stated that Bellator signed him because he is bigger than the other “bums” on the promotion’s books (via MMAFighting):
“I have a bigger following and a bigger name than anyone on the roster,” Danis said. “So at the end of the day I wasn’t surprised. It was the right move for them. You can put any of those bums against me, and they’ll get a rating.”
Danis’ fame in MMA derives from his association with UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor. When asked why he signed with Bellator, one could assume from his answer that the “Notorious” had been rubbing off on him a bit too much:
“We talked to the UFC, for them it’s just hard to sign anyone who doesn’t have any fights,” Danis said. “We were negotiating but Bellator came with money from the beginning. In the future, we’ll see what happens, but it was right this time with Bellator, the money was right, everything was right and they needed a star, you know?”
“I’m the highest-paid guy in Bellator now, so that’s all I can say,” Danis said.
Danis was quick to rule out any comparisons with other fighters such as McGregor, however, and claimed that he is intent on building his own legacy in the rival promotion of the UFC:
“It’s just who I am,” Danis said. “I’m not trying to be anyone. I’m okay with it. At the end of the day, I told the truth and that’s it. I’m not trying to be anything, that’s just how I am. I say the truth and people get upset about it. These guys in jiu-jitsu are mad, but at the end of the day, I’m bringing more attention.”
