In a recent appearance on the Mighty Cast podcast, controversial MMA star Dillon Danis revealed that he received an invitation to compete at the prestigious Craig Jones Invitational (CJI), though he ultimately declined the opportunity.
During his conversation with host Demetrius “Mighty Mouse” Johnson, Danis was questioned about why he hasn’t participated in the lucrative landscape of modern no-gi grappling competitions, including events like ADCC and CJI.
“I got offered the I I got offered to be in the last ADCC. The CJI,”
Danis confirmed when pressed about potential grappling opportunities. However, he explained his reasoning for turning down these high-profile matches, emphasizing his current focus on mixed martial arts training.
Danis provided insight into his decision-making process, stating:
“The thing is is like when you’re training MMA full-time and those guys are just non-stop three times a day doing jiu-jitsu, it’s kind of like kind of s— to just jump in there and like, you know what I mean?”
The MMA star acknowledged the dedication required to compete at the elite level of pure grappling, recognizing that top competitors at events like CJI train exclusively in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu multiple times daily. He emphasized the specialization gap between MMA athletes who split their training across multiple disciplines and dedicated grapplers who focus solely on submission wrestling.
“Like cuz I if I if I dedicate myself to jiu-jitsu, then I’m going to do it. You know what I mean? So like right now I’m on the goal to be the best MMA fighter in the world,”
Danis explained, outlining his current priorities.
Despite turning down the CJI opportunity, Danis left the door open for future grappling competitions, particularly expressing interest in a rematch with Gordon Ryan.
“I mean, yeah, if I started training and I I came back and I like I want to compete against Gordon again, obviously, but I want to, you know, do it right. I wouldn’t just jump in there and be s— like, you know what I mean?”
The revelation comes as Danis continues his mixed martial arts career under the Misfits banner, where he currently holds the 170-pound championship. His decision to prioritize MMA over pure grappling demonstrates the challenge athletes face when choosing between different combat sports disciplines, especially when significant financial opportunities exist in both arenas.
While fans may have missed the opportunity to see Danis compete against the world’s best grapplers at CJI, his comments suggest that a properly prepared return to high-level submission grappling remains a possibility in the future.
