Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) stalwart Dillon Danis is no stranger to headlines. Danis has had his share of media attention despite not stepping foot inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Octagon. If you didn’t know him for his championship wins in Abu Dhabi, World No Gi, and Pan American, then you knew him when current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor enlisted his services for UFC 202.
Danis raised some eyebrows when he told Ariel Helwani he’d be willing to fight Nate Diaz in mixed martial arts (MMA) back in August. You can see the interview from that edition of The MMA Hour above.
It’s no secret that Danis is confident in his abilities. The BJJ black belt has his sights set on the UFC despite not having an MMA bout on his resume. He visited Helwani once again (via MMAFighting) to discuss his future plans and potential opponents. One name that stuck out to him was Sage Northcutt.
“That would be an easy fight (against Northcutt). Just to get in there. That would be a good, easy one to just get out of the way. Beat someone that has a decent name.”
Northcutt has been under the microscope following his submission loss to Mickey Gall at UFC on FOX 22. He’s lost two of his last three bouts, and his win at UFC 200 against Enrique Marin was anything but “Super.” With both his losses coming by submission, it’s hard to imagine his next bout will be against a BJJ master.
While the BJJ skills of Danis can’t be denied, many questions loom. Fans and analysts wonder if he can grasp the stand-up, wrestling, fight IQ, and many other aspects of professional MMA. One thing that Danis has going for him is time. He’s only 23 and trains with the No. 2 ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world.
Danis likes his chances and says he can make an impact immediately.
“I honestly think I can go my first fight in the UFC, and I think I would dominate. I say that 100 percent being fact. I’m not a stupid person and I know what I’m capable of. I know who I’ve trained with, and I know what I’ve seen.”
