Nathaniel Wood: Dillon Danis is ‘not part of MMA world’ after Logan Paul defeat

After a chaotic build-up, Danis turned in a dismal showing in the co-main event of Tommy Fury’s victory over KSI where he lost via disqualification. The 30-year-old failed to throw anything of note at his opponent before attempting an illegal guillotine choke on Paul in the final round.

Paul shrugged off the attempt and aimed a punch at Danis, prompting security to flood the ring in an embarrassing conclusion to their lifeless contest.

Danis, a long-time training partner of Conor McGregor, was making his first appearance in the boxing ring. The former jujitsu champion still has a contract with Bellator but has fought just twice for the promotion, the last of those bouts coming in 2019.

UFC featherweight Wood, who takes on Muhammad Naimov at UFC 294 this weekend, was not impressed with the performance and fears it will be used as ammunition to undermine genuine MMA fighters who are prepared to step into the boxing ring.

‘I have never had Danis down as an MMA guy,’ Wood told Metro.co.uk. ‘But then Jake Paul starts talking about how we [him and brother Logan] are smashing these MMA guys and that is not right.

‘The only guy you can give credit to is Anderson Silva, one of the greatest to ever do it but he fought him when he was about 100 years old. You can’t do that, it doesn’t work like that.

‘It is embarrassing to be thinking there are people out there thinking these MMA fighters can’t fight. I just hope people don’t view Danis as representing the MMA world, which I don’t think he was. Let’s be honest, we only talk about his grappling. He is not a striker. It was the same with Ben Askren. Put these guys in a boxing ring what do you expect?’

Wood added: ‘He is not a part of this world as far as I am concerned. He is obviously a very high level jujitsu guy that has had two MMA fights. We’ve got amateurs who are more experienced in striking than he is. But I get it, it sells. They wanted someone to play the bad guy with the stuff he was doing in the lead up.’

Wood’s return to the Octagon this weekend in Abu Dhabi marks a quick turnaround having beaten Andre Fili in London in July, having also got married this summer in August.

‘I don’t imagine they will rank me beating Naimov, unless I get it done pretty damn quick. But I have no idea how the rankings work. Lerone Murphy just beat a guy [Joshua Culibao] that drew with a guy I smashed [Charles Jourdain]. I don’t get it.

‘But I get paid the same amount so it doesn’t matter. In my head Naimov is top 10. The UFC know I want to start chipping away at the top 10 because I want to be champion.

‘Anyone I go up against, 10 fights into their UFC career or 0 fights into their UFC career, everyone has the ability to beat each other. I give him credit for accepting this, it is a big step up. It is a hell of step up. But we are both fighters chasing the dream and he will be knowing there is a big reward for him.’

MORE : Anthony Joshua defends Dillon Danis over trolling Logan Paul and fiancee Nina Agdal

MORE : Tommy Fury vs KSI result officially changed after error on judge’s scorecard

For more stories like this, check our sport page.