Dillon Danis: ‘Opponents Don’t Matter, Objective Is To Be #1 At IBJJF Pans’
Alliance-Marcelo Garcia black belt Dillon Danis is back in action at Pans this weekend and hungry to return to competition. We last saw him in action in January at Copa Podio, and now full healed from his elbow dislocation Danis is focused on one thing: top spot on the podium in the middleweight division at the 2016 IBJJF.
“I’m super excited. It’s been a long time coming, black belt. I won the Pans at brown belt two years in a row. I want to replicate what I’ve done for the last two years.
“I wanted to get double gold, but the teammate, you can’t do absolute because of Bernardo [Faria] and Leo [Nogueira], which is cool. If I could do absolute, I would 100%.
“I’m ready to take gold. Hard work will pay, I know when that time comes on Saturday and Sunday that everything’s going to come to fruition.
“After Copa Podio, sometimes when I get injured I get a little sad and I eat a lot, after Copa Podio I did gain a little bit of weight, but it’s normal. Coming back down was a rough because I was a little bit heavier than I normally am. But I’m right there, I’m always going to be on weight.
“It doesn’t matter if I cut 50lb, 10lb or 4lb. When I get on those mats there’s no other feeling like it, I’m ready to fight to the death. It doesn’t matter how much weight I cut, I’m ready to die.
“Middleweight is my weight class. This time was a little bit harder because I was injured, but middleweight is my home. I’m getting older, maybe one day I’ll move up to middle heavy, who know, but middleweight is definitely my weight class.
“My first match is against Josh Hinger, very tough guy, he comes from a good camp so I know he’s going to be tough, very well-rounded, so I know it’s going to be a good match.
“After that I’m not sure, it’s one of two very tough guys, and then the third match I’m anticipating Yago [de Souza]. That’ll be a trilogy, we already fought two times. It’ll be good to fight again.
“I feel like I’m the best, it doesn’t matter who it is. I don’t even really watch videos or anything because like I said before, I just see a blank face, I just see movement. I’m ready to fight, it doesn’t matter who it is, the objective is being number one.
“I don’t care who gets in my way, I’m ready to kill. I’m just to excited to go and I wish it was Saturday already.”
Dillon Danis will compete in the IBJJF 2016 Pans this weekend, watch it LIVE or on replay only here on FloGrappling.