Dillon Danis doesn’t think much of the current UFC roster, especially middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev.
The undefeated Chimaev won his first title with a lopsided decision win over Drikas du Plessis at UFC 319 and awaits his first challenger next week in a key fight between Reinier de Ridder and Brendan Allen at UFC Vancouver, with top contender Nasouddin Imavov on hand. Danis believes he has a better chance of handing Chimaev his first loss than anyone else.
During a recent appearance on Demetrius Johnson’s show, mighty castDanis is weighing his options following a quick submission victory at Misfits Boxing 22 (Danis’ first MMA fight in over six years) and believes he will be an instant championship contender in the UFC if given the opportunity.
“Are you going to the UFC?” Danis said. “I could beat Islam (Makhachev). I could beat Jon Jones. I could beat all those guys. Who was the champion in ’85? I don’t even know. . . . I’d bet all the money in my bank account against yours to beat his ass.”
An accomplished BJJ athlete, Danis doesn’t have many MMA credentials to speak of. His victory over Warren Spencer in August made him Misfit Boxing’s first light heavyweight champion, but that was only the third fight of Danis’ MMA career.
Chimaev, on the other hand, is 15-0 with 12 of his wins coming by knockout or submission. Five of his nine wins in the UFC came in the first round, including a brutal face crank from former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker. Outside of a few close calls against Gilbert Burns and Kamaru Usman, Chimaev has barely been tested.
Danis points to the Byrne fight as proof he has the secret to defeating Chimaev.
“Look at Durinho. The way he fought Khamzat is how you beat him,” Danis said. “You’ve got to have good jiu-jitsu. You can’t turtle and go against the fence, or you’re going to sit there all day. You’ve got to guard against him, and nobody in this division has a good guard. Only (De Ridder) has a chance because he has good jiu-jitsu. But it’s going to be an easy fight for me. I would easily put him down.”
Danis only needs 15 seconds to defeat Spencer and is itching to get back in the match. The New Jersey native says he already has fights scheduled, but Misfits Boxing has yet to announce them.
Should the UFC ever need his services in the near future, Danis is ready to answer the call.
“I think it will be in December,” Danis said of a possible next fight. “I want to fight tomorrow. I’m ready to fight. I haven’t taken any damage. I wish I could fight someone on the street or something. I want to fight so badly. I’m ready to go. I’m very fired up. But if the UFC comes and says, ‘Listen, listen, I’ll give you an easy layup like Kevin Holland,’ I’ll do it. It depends on the situation. We’ll see how the negotiations go now.”