Dillon Danis Mocks Paige VanZant After Boxing Debut Defeat
Paige VanZant's boxing debut didn't go as planned as she was put down in the opening round by Tik Tok star Elle Brooke. The former UFC fighter's defeat has sparked a reaction from controversial former Bellator star Dillon Danis, who engaged in a feud with VanZant leading up to her fight.
The feud between Danis and VanZant began during the build-up to VanZant's first fight under the Misfits Boxing banner against Elle Brooke in Texas.
VanZant had claimed that Danis wasn't a 'real fighter' during an interview, which ignited a back-and-forth exchange between the two.
Following VanZant's defeat, Danis took to social media to mock the ex-UFC fighter in a rare tweet that survived being deleted within hours. VanZant has yet to respond to the diss as she opts to post minimal social media content.
Despite the bout being almost split by bookies ahead of the first bell, many believed VanZant's extensive fight experience would be enough to dominate Brooke, who first started training in 2022. However, VanZant's three years out of the ring cost her early as the ring rust showed and she was dropped with a right hand.
Brooke landed an impressive combo that earned her a 10-8 round, but VanZant managed to get a strong foothold in proceedings shortly after. The pair served up four more exciting rounds, with fans divided in their scoring on social media.
Ultimately, two of the judges scored it in favour of one woman, while the deciding vote declared a draw between the pair. It was the second draw of the night after a prelim bout between Alaena Vampira and Lauren Baker.
Heading into Saturday's fight, VanZant appeared to have more of a feud going with Danis than she did with Brooke. She even took to social media to share a number of mocking posts about the former Bellator star, while keeping cordial with her actual opponent.
The feud began when, during a promotional interview with the Misfits YouTube channel, VanZant joked that Danis was "not a fighter". When host Chris Ridgway asked about MMA fighters failing to successfully cross over to boxing, he used the jiu-jitsu expert as an example.
It seems that Danis may have got the last laugh as he took aim at VanZant following her defeat. The fallout from VanZant's loss and Danis' reaction has sparked interest and debate among fans and the fighting community.
VanZant's defeat serves as a reminder of the challenges that MMA fighters face when transitioning to boxing. Despite her extensive experience in MMA, the ring rust and lack of recent boxing experience proved to be detrimental in her debut bout.
As for Danis, his reaction to VanZant's defeat has added fuel to the fire of their ongoing feud. The back-and-forth between the two fighters has captured the attention of fans and has generated buzz within the combat sports world.
It remains to be seen how VanZant will respond to Danis' mocking tweet and whether this feud will continue to play out in the public eye. Regardless, VanZant's boxing debut and the subsequent fallout have certainly made waves in the combat sports community.
