Dillon Danis remains a question mark for Bellator President Scott Coker.
It’s been more than three years since the jiu-jitsu standout and grappling coach of Conor McGregor stepped into the cage, and Coker isn’t sure whether he’ll ever return.
“Dillon is a kid we had a lot of high hopes for,” said Coker at the post-event press conference for Bellator 285 in Dublin.
Coker’s use of the past tense is a good indicator of where Bellator stands after many fits and starts. Knee injuries sent Danis to the sidelines, and he’s gotten far more more attention over the past few years for his feuds with fighters and industry vets.
In February, Coker welcomed the idea of putting Danis on a card in Ireland, where presumably he would draw support from the community where he has ties due to his relationship with McGregor.
Seven months later, the Bellator president is no closer to booking Danis.
“He’s super-talented, jiu-jitsu fighter, but he’s got to stay active, and he’s got to want to come back,” Coker said. “He calls me, he wants to come back, and then sometimes, I don’t hear from him for months. If he’s really serious about coming back, we’ll definitely have a spot for him, and we’ll definitely make an opportunity for him.”
Whatever support Danis has lacked from fans, he’s more than made up for in haters who hate his personality and want to see him fail. In that respect, they’ve had quite of ammunition after his arrest on disorderly conduct charges.
In the cage, Danis is 2-0 with a major camp behind him. Until he fights, however, Coker’s hands are tied.
Check out Coker’s interview following Bellator Dublin, which took place this past Friday at 3Arena. The full video is above.
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