Dillon Danis made a highly anticipated return to the world of combat sports in October 2022, marking his boxing debut against Logan Paul. Unfortunately, the outcome was not in his favor, resulting in a loss. This bout was particularly significant as it marked Danis’ first appearance since June 2019 when he participated in a Bellator event.
During the period between these two fights, Danis had openly expressed his eagerness for additional matchups. However, for undisclosed reasons, no further fights materialized. After the defeat against Paul, exactly one month later, Danis surprised the combat sports community by announcing his retirement from competition through social media channels. This decision followed several weeks of negotiation with the UFC, as Danis had recently been released from his Bellator contract.
In an interview with The MMA Hour podcast prior to UFC 295, Danis revealed that he would rather retire than accept an offer to join the Contender Series. He emphasized his preference to retire, stating, “I’d rather retire, bro. I’m not Sean O’Malley, I’m bigger than him. I have more followers than any welterweight in all of MMA. Everybody wants to see me in the UFC.â€
Danis went on to assert his confidence in his skills, particularly in jiu-jitsu, which he believes is on a different level. Expressing his willingness to face top contenders, he boldly stated, “I’ll fight Islam [Makhachev] first fight. I’ll fight any of them first fight, I swear. At the end of the day, if I lose, I lose. I could do 155 or 170. [Holland] an easy fight. Give me a warmup. This is too easy. He has no takedown defense, and I think I’d submit him in the first round.â€
I’m done with fighting. I’m retired. Love you all.
— Dillon Danis (@dillondanis) November 15, 2023
As of now, Dillon Danis boasts a professional MMA record of 2-0, securing both victories through submission. While his recent foray into boxing may not have yielded the desired result, his retirement announcement has left fans and pundits speculating on the future of this outspoken and talented fighter in the dynamic world of combat sports.
