Story by Peter Carroll
Photos by Dave Fogarty

DUBLIN—Dillon Danis is wearing sunglasses. His hoodie is pulled far over his head, casting a deep shadow over his face. He's walking alongside Artem Lobov, but Lobov makes no effort to stay anonymous. Pedestrians stop, jolted by awareness, and then fumble with their phones in an effort to capture a fleeting image of the two young men. 

At a coffee shop, the bill is generously waived by the waiter, who extends his hand and congratulates Lobov on his recent UFC win. At famous European chicken joint Nando's, we are brought upstairs, to a private place where Danis and Lobov can eat without being hassled. 

It's just another day for the two men. 

After all, it's difficult to avoid the public eye when you're a training partner of Conor McGregor. 

Golden Boy

Danis has recently become one of the most coveted names mixed martial arts despite never competing in the sport. He stands across a chasm, with one fight tentatively touching a world where his grappling alone will not be enough. But make no mistake: he is still, in this moment, a world-class jiu-jitsu star. 

“Everyone was counting me out before the Pan-Ams, so that win definitely meant a lot to me,” he explains. "I had been in camp with Conor and I think people thought that would take away from my performance. But I had been training no-gi in Ireland and in Vegas for months leading up to the Pan Ams. I really felt like I needed to get the job done out there."

Danis was widely credited for the stellar takedown defense that McGregor used against Nate Diaz in their rematch at UFC 202. But the grappler insists that he has learned just as much from McGregor.

“My mentality has completely changed since I started working with Conor. His confidence is infectious," he says. "I really felt indestructible going into that tournament, you know, like nobody could touch me.



“Just watching him in the lead up to the Diaz fight was an amazing experience. He didn’t doubt himself for a second. It was inspirational to see what he did that night. His mentality has definitely rubbed off on me."

“Really, the main reason I wanted to work with Conor was because of that mentality. I wanted to learn about it as much as I could.

“You know, everybody was saying things like ‘Dillon Danis is back’ after the Pan-Ams. I was thinking, ‘Hey guys, I’ve won everything since I was a brown belt’, I never went anywhere.” 

Even Lobov has been venturing into new avenues with the American in town. Lobov ripped up the first blue belt he received because he didn’t feel worthy of it. But Danis believes the Russian could be en route to a purple belt in the near future. 

“You should have seen me this morning,” Lobov says. “I was doing spider guard with this guy and everything. I usually hate the gi, but he’s got me back into it,” he gestures towards Danis. 

A Perfect Platform

The New Yorker had no real intention of transitioning over to MMA when he first began training with McGregor. However, his visibility has soared due to his work with the UFC featherweight champion.

Danis has fanned the flames on social media. He recently posted a picture of himself wearing a UFC t-shirt with a caption that declared he would “play with any one of them." 

Another post displayed Danis in the same wide stance as McGregor while sporting a pair of MMA gloves. As you might imagine, these McGregor-esque social media bits have caught the attention of several UFC stars. 

Danis has no interest in responding to individual callouts, but he had no qualms about forecasting that he would be UFC champion within a year of signing with the organization. 

“The only reason why these guys are coming out and saying things is because they know I’m a threat to them,” says Danis.  



“My jiu-jitsu is on a really high level. I really feel like if I went into MMA I could win a UFC title within a year. 

“I’m not stupid. I know a lot of people are saying I’m not ready, but I know what I’m capable of and I wouldn’t even consider doing this unless I thought I could be one of the best in the world. I feel like I’m ready to beat the guys in the UFC.

“Right now, I feel like I’m one of the most called-out fighters in jiu-jitsu and MMA. To do that, you’ve got to be real. People know that I’m serious about this, and if they didn’t think I was, nobody would take it seriously. 

“These guys wouldn’t waste their time calling me out if they thought I wasn’t serious. You can’t fake this s**t.”

Timing is Key

Initially, Danis maintained that he would take over the jiu-jitsu world before moving over to MMA. The completion of his goal was to coincide with him claiming gold at black belt in the gi at the world championships, but the gravity of his situation has forced him to rethink the timeline for his transition. 

“I’ve got a lot of heat at the moment so I guess it could happen sooner. Guys like Nate Diaz have called me out. The amount of opportunities that are available to me now makes it harder for me to stick to that initial plan. MMA does appeal to me, though, so it’s an interesting time for me.” 

Bellator will debut in Ireland in December, and Danis is open to looking at what they would bring to the table for a “one-off” arrangement, as he sees his future inevitably being with UFC. 

“If Bellator sent me a contract, sure, I’d have a look. Anything is possible right now. I guess the timing of everything would be the important thing because of the amount of things I’ve already committed to. 

“Really, I want to go to the UFC. That’s where the best fighters in the world compete and that’s where I see my future in MMA. Maybe if Bellator wants to come to me with an offer for a one-off fight, then maybe we could do something. 

“I’ve got a lot of mustard now, so the money would have to be right too. Honestly, I think I could main event that Dublin card. Nothing has been said to me yet, though, so we’ll have to wait and see.” 

But Danis is confident that until he reaches the UFC he could keep up his career in jiu-jitsu. 

“Competing in smaller MMA shows and maintaining a career in jiu-jitsu would be pretty straight forward, but I think when you get to the UFC you have got to put all your focus into MMA. I want to be a UFC champion and that will require my full attention.”

Taking Shots

The most overused critique of any jiu-jitsu fighter crossing over to MMA is the common refrain that “things change when you get punched in the face." That, or "everything changes when the cage door closes." 

Danis began training in MMA at age 16 at the AMA Fight Club. He remembers seeking out the MMA fighters in the gym to challenge himself due to the intensity they brought in their sparring rounds, something he didn’t find among the BJJ “hobbyists” at the gym. 

His aptitude for sparring shocked McGregor when they first linked up, but it has allowed their relationship to flourish. Danis has earned McGregor's respect through blood and sweat. 

“Conor was really surprised that I came in and I sparred, because a lot of high-level jiu-jitsu guys just stick to teaching when they come into an MMA camp. They don’t spar, they don’t really do anything out of their comfort zones," he says. "I was definitely out of my comfort zone at the beginning. You see those left uppercuts coming at you in the pocket and that’s definitely a serious situation to be in. One time Conor hit me with an uppercut as I tried to shoot on him and I swear I thought I was going to get knocked out. I couldn’t hear for a week after it." 

Lobov, who knows a thing or two about taking and giving shots in the cage, agrees. 

“As Dillon says, he’s been doing this since he was fifteen or sixteen and you could definitely see that he was used to getting punched from his very first time sparring with us," he says. "In Vegas, he sparred Peter Queally a lot, he sparred Conor and he sparred me. Believe me, he’s well used to taking shots so I really don’t see that being an issue for him.”

The Great Leap

Spend any sort of time with Danis and you'll see that his aspirations for the cage are genuine. 

Lobov vouching for the black belt only adds to the intrigue. But with the spotlight surely coming his way, the pressure to perform in his debut will be greater than most. Where most fighters make their debuts without the strain of the world watching, Danis will not be afforded a similar luxury. 

He's not worried about it. 

“I worked for this platform,” he says. "I’ve competed for years in jiu-jitsu to build my name. Sure, I might not be able to transition over without a lot of attention being put on me, but I figure that’s the way I want it if I plan on being a UFC champion some day. I’ve always had a lot of pressure on me. Ever since I took off in jiu-jitsu I’ve been doing big super fights and there have been some huge build-ups to them. dill

“For me, training always takes away the pressure. I know that I’ve been training hard with all of these guys over here so I know I’m ready to do this.”