Dillon Danis Pulls Out, Mike Perry Gets Brandon Jenkins

Dillon Danis has withdrawn from his headlining fight against Mike Perry just two days before the bout, forcing Duel Arena 1 to scramble in a new opponent with 48 hours' notice. Perry will now face UFC and PFL veteran Brandon Jenkins (17-11) in the new main event Saturday at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida.

Perry (15-8) broke the news himself at Thursday's pre-fight press conference, ripping into Danis for the last-minute pullout. "This pssy ass bitch Dillon Danis didn't show the fck up. He's not here. He backed the fck out because he's a pssy," Perry said, before turning his attention to the new opponent. "I want to give a shout out to my new opponent Brandon Jenkins. He's getting on a plane right now. He's flying here to weigh in the morning like a professional and fight me on Saturday night."

Why Danis Pulled Out

No official reason for the withdrawal has been confirmed, but Danis posted a video of himself getting a wound stitched up shortly after Perry's announcement, captioning it "sh*t happens in the fight game. Beyond disappointed." Whatever the cause, the pullout fits a well-worn pattern. Danis has now backed out of seven scheduled bouts dating back to 2019, including a pair of highly hyped boxing matches against KSI that both fell apart before fight night. He last competed in MMA in August 2025, submitting Warren Spencer in 15 seconds, and has twice wrestled for RAF since.

Jenkins steps in off short notice with real credibility. He picked up a win on the Netflix-broadcast MVP MMA card and has run through both the UFC and PFL during his career. Perry, for his part, is coming off a win over Nate Diaz on that same Netflix event in May and is moving up in weight to accommodate the late change, telling the Orlando crowd he still plans to "put on for the city of Orlando."

What It Means for the Duel Arena 1 Card

This swap reshapes the entire commercial pitch for Duel Arena 1, a promotion literally launching its brand on the strength of Perry vs. Danis. Losing that grudge-match energy this late is a real blow, since Danis brings a built-in audience through his social media feuds and boxing crossover appeal that Jenkins simply doesn't carry into a pay-per-view buy.

For bettors, the number that mattered on the original fight is now irrelevant, and any market built around Perry-Danis needs to be treated as dead. Expect Perry to open as a firm favorite over Jenkins given the gap in name recognition and MMA experience level, but Jenkins is not a tune-up. He's a proven UFC and PFL commodity taking the fight on 48 hours' notice at a catchweight that favors Perry, and short-notice replacement fights have a habit of running favorites into trouble early. Bettors should watch for how the line moves as fight night approaches and weigh the layoff and camp disruption on both sides before backing Perry heavily.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No official reason was confirmed, but Dillon Danis posted a video of himself getting stitched up shortly after Mike Perry announced the withdrawal, saying only that 'sh*t happens in the fight game.'

Who is Mike Perry fighting now instead of Dillon Danis?

Mike Perry will now headline Duel Arena 1 against Brandon Jenkins, a UFC and PFL veteran who stepped in on 48 hours' notice.

When and where is the Mike Perry vs. Brandon Jenkins fight?

The rescheduled main event takes place Saturday, August 29, 2026, at Kia Center in Orlando, Florida, as part of Duel Arena 1.