Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have heard that team mate and friend of Conor McGregor, Dillon Danis has signed with Bellator MMA.
The news came out last night, and I couldn’t help but think the American had made a very smart choice signing with the promotion. Why? Well, Bellator is the second biggest MMA organisation in the world behind the UFC, but in the UFC, Danis would likely have been thrown in with somebody much more experienced, and just all around better.
Although Bellator is the second largest MMA organisation, they are willing to sign lesser fighters. Maybe not to multi-fight deals, but they won’t hesitate to put Danis against a regional level fighter in his first few fights. This is perfect for the BJJ ace, as he can perform on a huge stage, and fight lesser opponents.
Chances are, Danis’ debut fight will be announced and you will never have heard of his opponent. That’s fine though, because although he is a world champion in BJJ, he’s never had a competitive MMA fight, and has only been training his striking for a maximum of two years.
It’s very rare that somebody is so athletically gifted that they can come into a sport new and wreck shop. A long time ago, Danis would have been able to do that, but now with the evolution of fighters and the skill it requires to compete at the highest level in the UFC, the 23-year-old would likely be outclassed in the UFC.
Again, that goes back to why Bellator is a perfect fit. I hope we don’t, and don’t expect to see Danis challenging for a Bellator title any time soon, but if he can learn the game quickly, develop his all around game and become well rounded enough to challenge, then he’ll be a big draw.
If that can happen, the Dillon Danis story will be a crazy and marketable one, plus, he’ll have the support of Conor McGregor, and we all know how much hype he has behind him.
