Jiu-Jitsu ace Dillon Danis is headed to the mixed martial arts cage.
Danis, who is a good friend and training partner of current UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, signed a promotional deal with Bellator on Monday according to Yahoo Sports.
Like his good friend Conor McGregor, Danis exudes a ton of confidence and rightfully so. The Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt is one of the worlds finest grapplers and proved that by defeating AJ Agazarm at ‘Submission Underground 3’ this past January.
https://twitter.com/dillondanis/status/826166143043842049
Following his victory at ‘SUG 3’, Danis called out former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones saying that he would tap ‘Bones’ out faster then he would Brendan Schaub in an MMA fight.
Dillon Danis spoke to Yahoo Sports about his lofty goals for his new career in mixed martial arts:
“I want to fight the best, just like Conor does,” Danis told Yahoo Sports. “We’re different people, though we’re very like-minded. We set high goals and we aren’t afraid to try to achieve. I feel he’s the best ever, in my opinion, and so if people want to compare us, well, how could it be bad if you’re a basketball player to be compared to Michael Jordan? That’s essentially what people would be saying if they compare us.”
He continued:
“I obviously respect what he has accomplished and will accomplish in the future. He’s incredible and the aura of confidence he has is amazing. He’s a champion for a reason. But I want to go down my own path and do it my way.”
Danis plans to begin his MMA career at welterweight, but eventually hopes to fight at lightweight and, like McGregor, hopes to be a two-sport champion.
Bellator President Scott Coker also spoke to Yahoo Sports about the marquee signing:
“I want to use that old Strikeforce philosophy with Bellator: Buying the best free agents and building from the top down and signing these young guys who excel in one discipline of the martial arts, whether it is wrestling or jiu-jitsu, taekwondo or traditional karate, and then building from the bottom up. A guy like Dillon, with such high-level jiu-jitsu, whenever a fight goes to the ground, he’s going to be a serious threat. He’s going to have to master the stand-up game and everything else, but what I’ve found over the years is that when you take a guy like this, who has competed all over the world in big events, they’re calm and relaxed and they’ll develop if you push them along and nurture them the right way.”
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