Dillon Danis Admits Nick Diaz Fight Was Offered to Him

Dillon Danis let slip that Nick Diaz had agreed in principle to fight him before Danis instead booked his wrestling match with Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 14.

Danis made the admission during RAF 14 media day while talking up his interest in fighting Nate Diaz, saying he was not supposed to discuss the Nick Diaz negotiations at all. "Nick Diaz was supposed to fight, I'm not even supposed to talk about this," Danis said. "Nick was agreeing to it, but he's a little, he's going through some stuff. Nick was supposed to be the fight after Mike Perry."

That timeline matters. Danis was booked to fight Mike Perry in an MMA bout at Duel Arena 1 in August but withdrew roughly 48 hours out, citing a severe arm laceration he later documented on video. Perry publicly questioned whether the withdrawal was planned, and Brandon Jenkins stepped in on a day's notice, a short-notice swap that reportedly cut Perry's purse in half. According to Danis, Nick Diaz was lined up as the fight that would have followed that Perry bout, before the arm injury and the subsequent fallout scrambled those plans and Danis ended up on the Tsarukyan card instead.

What This Means for Danis' Credibility

Dillon Danis now has a pattern of naming marquee opponents, Mike Perry, Nate Diaz, and now Nick Diaz, without those fights actually materializing. The Perry withdrawal already left bettors and promoters skeptical of his reliability, and this reveal about Nick Diaz adds another name to a list of bouts that got talked about more than they got signed. Danis also claimed Nate Diaz had been offered millions with a $250,000 clause attached in case Danis pulled out again, which only reinforces how much his recent booking history is shadowed by the Perry pullout.

Why Nick Diaz Booking Talk Raises Concerns

Any real interest in putting a 43-year-old Nick Diaz back in a fight right now comes with obvious questions. A video of Diaz that circulated recently raised concern about his well-being, and nothing here clarifies that situation one way or another. Whether or not Nick Diaz was seriously close to signing, promoting a fight for him at this stage would invite scrutiny that has little to do with styles or odds.

Betting Angle

None of this changes the betting picture for RAF 14, assuming Danis and Tsarukyan actually get to the cage after Thursday's press conference brawl. Tsarukyan charged the stage after Danis wore a shirt mocking Khamzat Chimaev, and the resulting melee involving both camps and security is now as big a story as the wrestling match itself. For bettors, the real variable isn't a style matchup anymore, it's whether Danis makes it to fight night without another injury, withdrawal, or incident. Given his track record this year, that uncertainty alone should factor into how anyone prices this main event or bets on it actually coming off as scheduled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Dillon Danis almost fight Nick Diaz?

Dillon Danis said Nick Diaz had agreed to fight him, with the bout planned to follow his scheduled matchup with Mike Perry before that fight fell apart.

Why did Dillon Danis pull out of his fight with Mike Perry?

Dillon Danis withdrew from his August bout with Mike Perry at Duel Arena 1 roughly 48 hours before the event, citing a severe arm laceration, though Perry questioned the timing of the withdrawal.

What happened between Dillon Danis and Arman Tsarukyan at RAF 14 media day?

Arman Tsarukyan charged the stage and tried to punch Dillon Danis after Danis wore a shirt mocking Khamzat Chimaev, sparking a brawl involving both fighters' teams and security ahead of their RAF 14 main event.