Who is Dillon Danis? Record, bio, net worth of Logan Paul opponent who was part of John Fury press conference

By | August 23, 2023
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Two professional fights into his combat career, Dillon Danis has more than two million Instagram followers and an apparently enduring association with the world’s best-known UFC fighter in Conor McGregor.

When he steps through the ropes to fight Logan Paul – a fellow recipient of riches through treading the line between sport and celebrity – Danis will be entering a new sport before his MMA career has really begun.

The provocative American is likely to be watched by a sizeable audience around the world when he takes part in the event headlined by KSI and Tommy Fury, and he played his part in John Fury’s explosive pre-fight press conference, which he began sitting next to Tommy’s father.

Here is all you need to know about Danis, a brawler about to become the latest to make the switch from MMA to boxing.

MORE: Join DAZN to watch KSI vs. Tommy Fury

Dillon Danis record and bio

Born in New Jersey, Danis began wrestling as a freshman and later turned to jiu-jitsu, winning the Pan No-Gi Championship in 2016, by which time the Black Belt had already started training with world champions.

Danis is said to have excelled in the classroom but admitted that he had been continuously distracted by thoughts of training, supported to pursue his jiu-jitsu ambitions by figures including his mother, Nikki.

A resounding win in a school fight emphasised to Danis the path he wanted to take. “I choked him out,” he told the Daily Record of his opponent.

“I fought him and they were like, ‘What’s that BS on the ground?’ In middle school, people didn’t understand. That’s my only street fight ever. I’m happy it happened, because it made me realize what my dream was. I found jiu-jitsu.”

The prospect submitted Kyle Walker in the first round of Bellator 198 in April 2018 and Max Humphrey during the opening stanza at Bellator 222 almost a year later.

He became infamous for an incident between those fights when he goaded UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov before the Dagestani’s incendiary win over arch-rival McGregor at UFC 229.

The resulting fight outside of the ring is arguably the scrap Danis remains best known for. Having beaten McGregor, the incensed Nurmagomedov leapt out of the cage to confront the sidekick who had goaded him, leading to a mass brawl and a seven-month suspension for Danis, as well as a fine from commissioners.

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John Fury press conference: How was Dillon Danis involved?

The antics of Fury Sr. would have appealed to Danis’ taste for controversy at a pre-fight press conference held on August 22.

On his 30th birthday, Danis had a front-row seat as Paul infuriated Fury, sitting next to the 59-year-old as he went on what was widely described as a “rampage” during the promotional event.

Fury took to his feet and roared a foul-mouthed tirade at Paul while assuring his audience that he would “fight anyone in the building”.

The scene turned physically violent when Fury pushed a table over, launching objects in the direction of the crowd before trying to confront KSI.

Stage left, Danis could be seen lifting up a chair, only to be warned by bodyguards not to use it as a weapon. A voice that appeared to be speaking to Danis in footage could be heard saying: “Listen, don’t do it mate – you’ll get arrested. Don’t do it, yeah?”

As the press conference ended abruptly and security staff tried to calm the melee down, Danis and Paul could be seen throwing objects at each other.

Paul faced off with back-up opponent Mike Perry – because, Paul claimed, Danis had a “tantrum”. Fury apologised for his actions the following day, and his son revealed he had drunk red wine in his hotel beforehand.

Dillon Danis net worth

Danis is likely to accelerate his net worth by fighting Paul in front of thousands of fans. He is already worth $3 million (£2.5m), according to Bio Overview.

Danis regularly pictures himself with luxury cars, on jets and at parties with the likes of Floyd Mayweather. When he posed with the boxing great, Danis added on Instagram: “Floyd Mayweather is an embarrassment to all combat sports and he’s not even close to a real fighter and [he] would never touch me, even on my worst day.”

Dillon Danis’s social media influence

As well as that vast following on Instagram, Danis has almost 650,000 followers on Twitter, and more than 109,000 followers on Facebook. 

“When you’re the best fighter in the world today, they don’t call you a great fighter,” he declared on his Twitter account on Christmas Day 2022. “They call you Dillon Danis.”

MORE: UFC betting scandal, explained

Dillon Danis vs Logan Paul: When is the fight?

Danis turns to boxing alone for the first time when he meets Logan Paul in Manchester on October 14, 2023.

What is Dillon Danis’ connection to Conor McGregor?

At around the time he was making his name as a top jiu-jitsu fighter, Danis was invited to join McGregor’s camp for his bout with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in August 2016.

A clear acolyte of the ferociously flashy McGregor, Danis became known for repeatedly portraying himself with the Irishman and imitating his boastful, crude style of self-promotion.

The welterweight routinely uses social media posts to show off the spoils of fame, standing alongside stars such as footballer Cristiano Ronaldo and rapper Drake.

There is one situation Danis has said will necessitate his exit from Instagram. “If I don’t finish Paddy Pimblett in under two minutes, I’ll retire and delete all social media forever,” Danis said of his fellow MMA rookie, adding that he would give everyone who liked the tweet making that promise “1k each”.

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