Social media is abuzz with clips of the brawl that erupted between Dillon Danis and Islam Makhachev’s team at UFC 322. Given that it’s not the first time Danis has found himself embroiled in a controversy, a few promptly turned the pages of history. Apart from the infamous 2018 UFC 229 free-for-all brawl, most invariably recall the incident involving Nina Agdal, now Logan Paul’s wife. Two years ago, the New Jersey-born submission grappler found himself gaining considerable notoriety for dialing a scathing online campaign against Agdal. Tired of the unwarranted smear, the model later filed a lawsuit against Danis. Javier Mendez was quick to point out the incident during an interview.

It’s easy to see why Mendez mentioned it. The altercation at UFC 322 left a bitter taste. A string of entertaining fights saw some of the most unexpected finishes at Madison Square Garden. However, Danis’ reported mischief marred the prelude to a historic headliner. Left with little option, Dana White decided to ban Dillon Danis from attending any UFC events henceforth. Slightly over a month separates Danis from his first Misfits MMA Light Heavyweight title defense. But it appears the New Jersey-born submission grappler took his preparations quite seriously. Only it got the better of his emotions, spilling cageside, nearly spoiling the title challenge of another.

Javier Mendez remembers Nina Agdal taking Dillon Danis to court

A day after the event, Submission Radio reached out to Javier Mendez, the man responsible for turning around Islam Makhachev‘s MMA journey. It was hard to conclude an interview the day after UFC 322 with a key member of Team Khabib without discussing the Dillon Danis incident. Recalling the post-fight press conference, when UFC CEO revealed how Danis was sitting at the fighters’ section, where Team Khabib had also camped, Mendez reflected, “You know, you’re asking for trouble.”

He added, “And then they showed me the videos of what he was showing, showing Ali and Islam in a relationship-type embrace. And then he was doing things with a p*rn star and Islam embracing, and then he’s talking crap on other things. I mean, what do you expect when you do that and you go and you sit where the guys are sitting and you ring them up with big huge disrespect?”

That’s when he recalled the legal action Nina Agdal took against Dillon Danis. “Logan Paul’s girlfriend went after him and rightfully so. He was making her look like something she wasn’t. So, she sued his a**. And then that, you know, you got to stop that stuff, you know?” Earlier, when asked to share his thoughts, Mendez revealed how Danis’ behavior left him and many bewildered. “Why doesn’t he grow up?” Mendez simply asked on Submission Radio.

A search for the answers might take fans back to 2018, when the infamous battle at UFC 229 unfolded.

Danis: Brawls and the Agdal lawsuit

After defeating Danis’ training partner Conor McGregor, Khabib leapt from the cage and hit him, leading to a full-blown brawl. In 2021, at UFC 268, things once again turned ugly when Dillon Danis got into a squabble with Ali Abdelaziz. Two years later, Dillon Danis faced Logan Paul on the Misfits boxing card.

The bout itself ended most disastrously when Danis resorted to takedowns and chokes. As a result, he was disqualified, with Paul being declared the winner. However, if the ending left many shocked, then the lead-up took some by surprise.

Going after Nina Agdal, then Paul’s girlfriend, Danis used social media to make several accusations and post numerous photos of her publicly. Initially, Jake Paul’s brother served a ‘cease and desist’ letter. But reportedly, Danis ignored and continued his attacks. As a result, Agdal filed a lawsuit and later received a temporary restraining order.

With UFC 322, however, it seems the curtains have finally been drawn on Danis’ cageside brawling days. Let’s see how he performs against Anthony Taylor on the Andrew Tate-headlined Misfits Mania – The Fight Before Christmas. Do you think UFC should have taken action against Danis right after UFC 268?