Paddy Pimblett is now one of the biggest stars in the UFC and arguably just two fights away from a title – but he used to have some interesting enemies.
Everyone knows about his long-running rivalry with featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, but Pimblett has been a hassle for many fighters over the years. One feud that came up online over the years was with Dillon Danis, the famed jiu-jitsu black belt and former Bellator fighter.
It’s common practice for Danis to call out rising UFC fighters and insist that he can beat them, despite having spent years away from MMA. But it’s rare for someone at Pimblett’s level to respond, and even offer a fight should the American get to the octagon.
Dillon Danis called out Paddy Pimblett for grudge fight
As far back as December of 2022, Dillon Danis has been calling for a fight with Paddy Pimblett. After watching the Scouser’s razor-close decision win over Jared Gordon, which he branded a robbery, the American declared he would beat his rival within two minutes.
“If i don’t finish Paddy Pimblett in under 2 mins I’ll retire and delete all social media forever plus give everyone who likes this 1k each,” Danis wrote in an aggressive tweet, which didn’t garner a response until a year later.
Following his farcical Misfits Boxing match with Logan Paul in October of 2023, Danis was finally released from his Bellator deal. And he immediately called for Pimblett, insisting that the pair would put on a major show on pay-per-view.
“My UFC debut against Paddy Pimblett would be quite the show,” Danis wrote on X to over 2.7million viewers on November 9 of 2023. “The buildup alone would be electric!
“And if we want to add some fun, we could be coaches on The Ultimate Fighter and have our fight at the end. Imagine the entertainment that would generate. Let’s give the people what they want and make fighting entertaining again!”
Pimblett responded at a press conference seemingly up for the idea, telling the media: “If he gets signed let’s do it. He fought Logan Paul and threw about six punches, he threw more punches at security guards than he did at Logan Paul.”
Paddy Pimblett eventually moved on to Conor McGregor
Ultimately, Pimblett and Danis never fought, and another bout that came up as a possibility was Conor McGregor. He is now taking on Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in a battle of two men who have been viewed as potential opponents for the mythical McGregor comeback fight.
While it seems the Irishman may never return, the door is open to a fight with Pimblett, with the Brit telling Round Eight Boxing that the fight “sounds very tasty.
“A lot of people have said this to me already, ‘Beat Chandler, take the McGregor fight’,” he explained. “Obviously, it’s the biggest fight in the sport, the biggest fight we’ve ever seen.”
