Dillon Danis says he had to pay Bellator to take the KSI fight

Dillon Danis is set to make his professional boxing debut when he faces YouTuber KSI in January 2023. The mixed martial artist, who remains signed to Bellator, recently revealed how he had to pay the promotion in order to take the boxing fight.

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Danis stated:

"Showtime and DAZN are rivals so I had to pay a hefty fee. I don't know if I'm supposed to be talking about how much. I can say how much. I need my publicist. I don't want to get in trouble with [Bellator CEO Scott] Coker, but it's a lot of money. What I'm paying Coker to let me fight is more than probably everyone in the UFC."

Danis added:

"Not to let me out, I'm still with them. It would be different if it were with Showtime because, with Showtime, [Bellator has] a deal with them... [Coker] wants me to come back to MMA. His star. Obviously, there's no one in Bellator that's going to bring that kind of noise. Who brings that much hype?"

While Danis remains signed to Bellator, he has not fought for the promotion in over three and a half years. It is unclear if he plans to resume his mixed martial arts career after his boxing match against KSI.

Watch Dillon Danis discuss having to pay Bellator to fight KSI below:

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Bellator CEO Scott Coker had a different tune regarding Dillon Danis facing KSI

Scott Coker was asked about Dillon Danis' upcoming boxing match against KSI following Bellator 289. Despite the welterweight's inactivity with the promotion, the Bellator CEO seemed supportive, stating:

"Dillon wants to go take this boxing fight, and I said, 'good luck, you're gonna have your hands full, young man.'... He is still under contract. We've been trying to get him to fight for a long time, and he saw an opportunity here with KSI, and so I wished him luck. It's a good deal for him, I didn't want to hold him back and be that promoter."

Coker's comments initially seemed to support his fighter's decision to take the boxing match. Danis' claim that he had to pay the promotion in order to do so, however, indicates that the Bellator CEO may not have been as supportive as he originally appeared.

Watch Bellator CEO Scott Coker discuss Dillon Danis' upcoming bout with KSI below (starting at the 9:40 mark):