UPDATE: The UFC has officially banned Dillon Danis from all future events following a shocking brawl at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden on Saturday. UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the ban during the post-fight news conference, emphasizing that Danis will never set foot in a UFC arena again.
The incident erupted just before the main card began, where Islam Makhachev was set to headline a welterweight title fight against Jack Della Maddalena. Multiple videos captured Danis engaging in a physical altercation with members of Makhachev’s team, including Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Magomed Zaynukov, creating chaos cageside.
White expressed his dismay at the situation, stating, “You will never see Dillon Danis at a UFC fight ever again.” While no charges will be pressed against Danis, the ramifications of this brawl resonate deeply within the MMA community, highlighting tensions that have lingered since Danis’ time as a training partner for Conor McGregor.
The rivalry between the camps intensified after a dramatic fight in 2018, where McGregor faced Khabib Nurmagomedov in Las Vegas. That confrontation led to a notorious post-fight melee, further inflaming tensions between the fighters and their supporters. Although the rivalry has cooled in recent years, Danis reignited hostilities this past fight week with mocking social media posts directed at Makhachev.
As the MMA world reacts to this latest incident, the implications extend beyond just Danis’s ban. Fans and fighters alike are questioning the future of rivalries in the sport and how such events impact the integrity of the UFC.
Looking ahead, all eyes will be on the UFC’s response to maintain order and sportsmanship within its ranks. With Danis now officially barred, UFC officials are likely to implement stricter measures to prevent similar occurrences in the future.