According to Chael Sonnen, a fight between Dillon Danis and renowned British strongman Eddie Hall damn near came to fruition.
Our deal old Uncle Chael broke the news on his YouTube channel, claiming that a fight between Danis and 2017’s World’s Strongest Man was all set, but ultimately fell apart. Unfortunately, we don’t really get many more details than that, but ‘The American Gangster’ made it clear that whoever was in the process of putting that fight together should get back on the ball and seal the deal ASAP.
“Eddie Hall versus Dillon Danis—okay, they were set for an MMA showdown,” Sonnen said. “Now, here’s how I got the news: I heard about it after the fact. But the news is that there’s no showdown, no match. And honestly, I almost wish I hadn’t even heard about it because I love the idea.
“I don’t know what those two were going to do. It was MMA, sure, but if Eddie was involved, I wouldn’t even have to question it. Eddie doesn’t get enough credit. Whoever lost this match, I’m sorry you lost it, but get it back.”
It’s hard to imagine a fight like that being sanctioned anywhere within the United States considering Eddie Hall weighs in at around 362 pounds while Danis typically walks around at half that. Chances are it would take place in the United Kingdom which Hall hails from and still calls home.
After establishing himself as an accomplished BJJ specialist, Danis made the move to mixed martial arts in 2018 and won back-to-back bouts under the Bellator banner. He has not competed since scoring a first-round finish against Max Humphrey in June 2019.
Dillon Danis set for boxing match with KSI ahead of a return to MMA
Danis did return to the spotlight in October 2023 for an exhibition boxing match with Logan Paul. ‘El Jefe’ ended up losing the bout after being disqualified in the waning seconds of the sixth round after attempting to land a takedown on Paul during the critically panned scrap.
On March 29, Danis is expected to return to the squared circle for another exhibition boxing bout, this time against Logan Paul’s PRIME Hydration business partner Olajide Olatunji, also known as KSI.
Danis was also drafted by Team New York in the first-ever Global Fight League draft and is expected to compete for the promotion in the future. No official dates have been announced regarding his debut, but GFL founder Darren Owen suggested that a fight with former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson could be in the cards for Conor McGregor’s old BJJ coach.
