KSI blasts Dillon Danis for no-show at first press conference: ‘He is terrified of me’
On Thursday, a press conference took place to promote the upcoming boxing match between KSI and Dillon Danis. Unfortunately, one fighter showed up, while the other didn’t.
KSI and Danis are scheduled to meet in the headliner of MF and DAZN: X Series 004, which takes place Jan. 14 at Wembley Arena in London. Sitting on the stage without Danis during the press conference, KSI felt disrespected, yet believes he’s certainly in the Bellator fighter’s head.
“In terms of Dillon Danis not being here, I think it’s quite disappointing, disrespectful to me and everyone here expecting him to show up,” KSI said. “It’s not something I haven’t seen before.
“I don’t know, maybe it’s my presence, maybe it’s just me in general, I’m so much of a scary guy. But I can understand that — I’m very disciplined, very focused, and if you look at my résumé, I don’t lose too many times. I think for Dillon, that’s probably seeping in. Yeah, I know he’s undefeated himself, but I think looking me in the eyes — even when we saw each other in Texas — I could tell it was a facade. He had to pretend that he’s bigger and stronger than he actually is, and it kind of shows not being here how little he really is, how small his mindset really is. He says I’m not a real fighter but I’m here. I’m always ready. And, as someone he says he is a real fighter, he has not made the plane trip to see me, and has not even made the Zoom call to see me, he’s terrified. He’s petrified of me. It’s disappointing.”
Event promoter Kalle Sauerland told those in attendance that the reason Danis was unable to appear was so he could focus on training after “suffering a bout of influenza.” Sauerland said Danis was slated to join in video form, which he didn’t at any point during the press conference.
KSI owns a split-decision win over Logan Paul in his only pro fight in 2019, while also earning a pair of knockout wins against Brandon Scott and Luis Alcarez Pineda on the same night in August at MF and DAZN: X Series 001.
Danis is scheduled to have his first fight in over three years after two submission victories in the Bellator cage over a 14 month stretch between April 2018 and June 2019, and got into a confrontation with KSI in Austin in November in a staredown prior to MF and DAZN: X Series 003.
Should Danis enter the squared circle next month, KSI is expecting to make a statement against his rival.
“Either way, when I do see him in the ring, he’ll understand all of the frustration and anger that I have for him for disrespecting me in this way will show Jan. 14,” KSI explained. “I’m a guy that whenever I’m focused, whenever I want something, I will get it no matter what. If anything, this makes me want to train harder, makes me want to do more than I already am doing, it makes me want to do more sprints, more bag work, more sparring, more of everything that I’m doing at such a high level.
“I’m ready for all things, whether it’s Dillon Danis, or it’s Tommy Fury, whether it’s Jake Paul or any of these guys, I am a different beast, and I will show it with all of these different fights that I do. It’s just a shame, honestly.
“I believe I’m all he thinks about and I’m in his nightmares — constantly terrorizing him, haunting him — and it’s making him slowly break down. It’s making break down, thinking, ‘Maybe I’m in over my head. When I see KSI in t he ring Jan. 14, am I really to get in there with him?’ Is he the guy that’s going to beat me, I don’t think so.”