MIAMI – Scott Coker isn’t sure when Dillon Danis will return, but he hopes he does.
The controversial Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt remains in the headlines on a regular basis, but hasn’t competed since June 2019. Danis, who won his first two professional bouts by first-round submission, underwent reconstructive knee surgery in March 2020. He was forced under the knife a second time after complications arose from his initial procedure.
Despite his inactivity, Danis remains one of the most popular names on the Bellator roster. But Coker has yet to receive a definitive timeline for his comeback.
“I sure hope (he comes back),” Coker told MMA Junkie. “That’s really up to him. I talk to him from time to time, just texting back-and-forth, asking him how he’s doing. The conversations are good. They’re pleasant. But I’m just waiting for him to say, ‘Hey, I’m ready. Give me a date, give me a fighter and let’s go.’ Really it’s going to be up to him. When he’s ready, we have fights twice a month. We’ll definitely get him in the rotations. So we’re going to wait for his green light and we’ll go get him a fight.”
Danis has not discriminated when beefing with fellow members of the combat sports community. From negotiating a potential boxing match with Jake Paul, to trading barbs with Michael Bisping and allegedly getting slapped by manager Ali Abdelaziz, Danis has managed to get into plenty of altercations during his recovery process.
The 28-year-old longtime training partner of Conor McGregor was recently arrested for disorderly conduct in September on the Jersey Shore, where he revealed that he’s yet to walk without crutches.
Bellator 271 takes place Friday at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. The main card airs on Showtime after prelims on MMA Junkie.
To see Coker’s full pre-event interview, check out the video below.
