After an extended hiatus from mixed martial arts competition, Dillon Danis is set to make his highly anticipated return to the cage at Misfits Boxing. He will be facing Warren Spencer for the light heavyweight title.
During a recent interview in Manchester, Danis displayed confidence while breaking down his upcoming bout. “I’m going to be MMA world champion,” Danis declared, emphasizing his championship aspirations. The match will take place in a boxing ring rather than a traditional octago.
“I actually don’t know how this gonna be. You know I never fought in a ring. I never didn’t train in a ring for this,” he admitted. However, Danis remained unfazed by the adjustment, stating: “I’m built to fight, so it doesn’t matter if it’s here in this room or it’s in a garage or it’s in a bar.”
Danis was particularly critical of his opponent’s mindset during their pre-bout interactions. He revealed that Spencer expressed concerns about potential takedowns, even suggesting he might grab the ropes to avoid being taken down. “He kept saying, he’s like, ‘Dude, would I rather get disqualified or get tapped?’ I’m like, ‘What kind of mindset is that, dude?'” Danis questioned Spencer’s warrior mentality despite his outward bravado.
The Conor McGregor training partner was skeptical of Spencer’s attempts to create artificial animosity, comparing his opponent’s behavior to fighters who try to emulate McGregor’s promotional style. “I see like fakeness in him and he’s definitely like a sweet dude at heart,” Danis observed. “I like when it’s real, you know? My name sells. So I don’t need to make fake beefs.”
When pressed about how quickly he could finish the fight, Danis was characteristically confident: “30 seconds. Not even have to shoot.” However, he acknowledged the importance of not rushing, given his extended layoff from competition.
Looking beyond Saturday’s contest, Danis already has his sights set on future opportunities. If Tony Ferguson wins his bout on the same card, Danis expressed interest in defending his potential title against the former UFC lightweight contender.
More ambitiously, he discussed the possibility of returning to the UFC, mentioning conversations about potential matchups and his desire to settle unfinished business with Islam Makhachev.
“Me and Islam for the belt, you know, get that finish that story line. He pushed me in the head five times, you know, when I was being helped, get my revenge on him,” Danis explained, referencing their previous altercation.
Despite his trash-talking reputation, Danis maintained that his confidence stems from genuine skill rather than manufactured controversy. With his MMA return finally upon him, the controversial grappler appears ready to prove that his time away from competition hasn’t diminished his abilities inside the cage.
