Dana White confirms Dillon Danis banned from UFC events after ringside brawl
Dana White has insisted that Dillon Danis will not be allowed back at a UFC event after the controversial fighter became embroiled in a wild ringside melee at Madison Square Garden on Saturday night, reports BritPanorama.
Footage circulating online showed Danis in a tense exchange with members of Islam Makhachev’s team moments before the situation erupted into violence. Several members of the lightweight champion’s entourage, including UFC competitor Magomed Zaynukov, were seen throwing punches in Danis’s direction as the brawl spilled across the front rows.
The altercation unfolded only inches from the family section, where Jack Della Maddalena’s wife Michelle and his mother Sonya were caught in the chaos. One clip appeared to show Zaynukov landing multiple heavy shots to the side of Danis’ head while the fighter attempted to calm a separate scuffle unfolding beside him.
Security staff and police rushed in but struggled to gain control as groups from both sides surged toward one another, creating a frantic and dangerous scene lasting several minutes. Eventually, Danis and several members of Makhachev’s camp were escorted away from cageside and taken backstage as order was restored.
White addressed the incident at the post-event press conference, making it clear that Danis’ presence at future UFC shows will not be tolerated. “You will never see Dillon Danis at a UFC fight ever again,” White said. “That and a lot of other reasons [are why we’d never sign him]. You’ll never see him at another fight.”
Although the UFC chose not to pursue charges, White admitted he was frustrated for not foreseeing the potential for trouble. “I could have prevented this tonight. It never even crossed my mind, as stupid as that could be, that the entire Muslim brotherhood was here tonight in the first five rows for Islam (Makhachev),” he explained. “I blame myself for that, actually.”
White revealed that staff informed him shortly before the main card that Danis had entered the arena and was moving between seats rather than staying in the location linked to his ticket. “They came back and told me right before I walked out for the main card that Dillon Danis was here and he was moving around, sitting in fighters’ seats and not sitting in his own seat that he had,” he said.
The tensions between Danis and Makhachev’s circle stretch back years, notably to the chaotic post-fight scenes following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s win over Conor McGregor in 2018. Danis, who was in McGregor’s corner that night, has often accused Makhachev of attacking him during the fracas. Last month, he reiterated his version of those events, stating, “Makhachev punched me in the head seven times.”
This incident further underscores the ongoing rivalries in the sport, illustrating once again how easily the lines between competition and conflict can blur amidst the electrifying atmosphere of the UFC.
