Former Bellator fighter and avid troublemaker Dillon Danis competes against Arman Tsarukyan for the RAF Middleweight Crossover championship in the main event of RAF 14 tomorrow night (Fri., Oct. 23, 2026) inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada.
That is, if the wrestling match actually happens.
Tsarukyan and Danis sparked a wild brawl during Thursday’s RAF 14 press conference after Danis revealed a shirt mocking Khamzat Chimaev, Tsarukyan’s close friend and training partner. Tsarukyan charged
across the stage and attempted to punch Danis, igniting an all-out melee involving both teams and security personnel (watch here).
Nevertheless, before accepting the Tsarukyan matchup, Danis apparently had another opponent on the table: a fight with mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Nick Diaz.
During RAF 14 media day, Danis reiterated his interest in fighting Nate Diaz, claiming the former UFC superstar had been offered millions of dollars. Danis also claimed the proposed contract included a clause that would have paid Diaz $250,000 if Danis withdrew.
While discussing those negotiations, “El Jefe” accidentally revealed that Nick was also recently considered.
“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.”
The Perry matchup famously fell apart at the last possible moment.
Danis was scheduled to face Mike Perry in an MMA bout at Duel Arena 1 in August, but withdrew approximately 48 hours before the event because of a severe arm laceration. Danis later released footage of the wound and subsequent medical procedure, but Perry questioned the timing and suggested the withdrawal may have been planned in advance.
Former UFC fighter Brandon Jenkins stepped in on one day’s notice, forcing Perry to compete at Middleweight after preparing for a Welterweight fight. Perry also claimed the replacement matchup cut his purse in half.
Danis’ withdrawal also delayed his RAF showdown with Tsarukyan, pushing their match from Oct. 3 to Oct. 23.
As for Nick, a recent video circulating across social media (watch here) raised concerns about his well-being. Without additional context, it would be unfair to speculate about his health, but attempting to book the 43-year-old for another fight right now would undoubtedly generate plenty of questions.
That did not stop Danis from unloading on both Diaz brothers.
“I’d f—king toss Nick around. I’d ragdoll him,” Danis said. “I could beat Nick and Nate in the same night, in the same ring. They’re both so bad. They can’t submit me. I’ll take them down over and over and over again, and I’d probably tap them multiple times.”
A Danis-Diaz fight certainly would have generated attention, but “El Jefe” has more immediate business to handle.
First, he needs to make it through fight night without another injury, withdrawal or brawl.
