Dillon Danis Used Conor McGregor’s Iconic Trash-Talk to Insult Khamzat Chimaev Days Before RAF 10 Brawl

Dillon Danis takes a page out of longtime friend Conor McGregor's playbook to hilariously trash talk Khamzat Chimaev ahead of RAF 10.

Dillon Danis Used Conor McGregor’s Iconic Trash-Talk to Insult Khamzat Chimaev Days Before RAF 10 Brawl

Dillon Danis uses Conor McGregor's trash talk against Khamzat Chimaev (via Instagram)

Dillon Danis remains one of the most polarizing figures in combat sports, often drawing attention through his antics. He first rose to prominence through his association with Conor McGregor‘s team, with the pair sharing a close friendship. Like the Irishman, Danis frequently uses trash talk to unsettle opponents. Ahead of his RAF 10 bout with Khamzat Chimaev, ‘El Jefe’ once again turned to that strategy.

Much of McGregor’s success was built on his ability to pressure opponents mentally before fight night. His rivalry with Jose Aldo became a prime example, with months of intensity leading up to their title fight. When they met at UFC 194, McGregor secured a knockout just 13 seconds into the opening round. The victory earned him the featherweight title and remains one of UFC history’s most memorable finishes.

Danis has often reflected that approach, though he is known for taking his trash talk to personal territory. The controversial star has called out Khamzat Chimaev for years, fueling their rivalry. During a recent RAF 10 press conference, both men were asked to say something positive about each other. While Chimaev praised Danis’ energy, ‘El Jefe’ responded with a remark straight from McGregor’s UFC 194 playbook.

Danis has had his sights set on Chimaev for years, dating back to the Chechen star’s early rise in the UFC. Throughout that period, he repeatedly claimed he could hand Chimaev a defeat and frequently called for a matchup. Chimaev’s teammate, Arman Tsarukyan, recently suggested Danis only talked online and would not say those things face-to-face. However, the RAF 10 presser appeared to show otherwise.

Danis and McGregor have been closely associated since 2016, when he joined the Irishman’s camp as a jiu-jitsu coach and training partner. Their friendship became a major talking point following the post-fight brawl at UFC 229, where Danis was involved in the chaos that erupted after the main event. He also helped prepare McGregor for several fights and became a familiar presence during media appearances.

Dillon Danis entered RAF 10 with added pressure after losing his RAF debut to Colby Covington at RAF 07.

The BJJ star faced a wounded Khamzat Chimaev, who is coming off the first loss of his career against Sean Strickland at UFC 328.

The matchup was Chimaev’s promotional debut, adding further attention to the bout. However, a brawl broke out after the Chechen star pinned Danis. To make things worse, there were signs about a potential brawl as evidenced from a viral footage showcasing their interaction.

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Khamzat Chimaev challenged Dillon Danis to a street fight before RAF 10 brawl

Khamzat Chimaev is known for intense fight-week confrontations outside the cage. At UFC 279 fight week, he was involved in a backstage altercation with Kevin Holland after tensions escalated during media day, prompting UFC officials to step in and separate the fighters.

At UFC Qatar fight week, he also had a heated exchange with Ian Garry that briefly turned physical before security intervened. Before he faced Strickland, Chimaev kicked him low before Dana White and the security had to intervene.

Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis
Khamzat Chimaev and Dillon Danis (via Instagram)

At RAF 10 fight week, Chimaev and Dillon Danis were involved in a heated altercation that escalated after a face-to-face confrontation. The exchange reportedly began during promotional activities, before both men agreed to a street-fight challenge on the spot. Security quickly intervened to separate the former UFC middleweight champion and the controversial star before the situation could escalate further.

Let’s do a street fight. You wouldn’t do that. Are you sure you would do everything? Come on. A couple of minutes, street fight.

Khamzat Chimaev via RAF backstage footage

‘El Jefe’ himself has a history of getting into brawls, including the UFC 229 post-fight melee involving Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, where chaos broke out cage side after the main event.

The BJJ star was also involved in a UFC 322 incident in New York with members of Islam Makhachev’s team, which escalated into a brawl at Madison Square Garden and led to disciplinary action and an official UFC ban. It remains to be seen if the brawl at RAF will prevent either Chimaev or Danis from competing in the promotion again.

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