

YouTube star turned boxer KSI was slated to lock horns with controversial mixed martial artist Dillon Danis at the AO Arena in Manchester, part of MF & DAZN X Series 21: Unfinished Business, on March 29th. However, a few days ago, the 31-year-old was forced to pull out of the fight due to illness. Now, UFC commentator and podcaster Joe Rogan has shared his verdict on the development.
Danis initially stepped in to replace ex-Chelsea and England international player Wayne Bridge after he withdrew from the fight following controversial comments made by ‘The Nightmare’ in the build-up. The pair was originally supposed to fight back in January 2023, but Danis had withdrawn from the bout, claiming he was underprepared. Regardless, Danis had sucker-punched KSI in 2023, resulting in an instant rivalry between the two. However, after a fight failed to materialize between them, the YouTube star took on FaZe Temperrr. KSI won the fight in the first round after knocking out Temperrr, but it would prove to be his last win.
KSI’s knockout win over Joe Fournier was ruled a no-contest, and in October 2023, he suffered his first career loss to Tommy Fury. The Danis fight was supposed to be his comeback, and it seemed exciting at first. KSI got his revenge for Danis’s sucker punch in 2023 by slapping him with a pancake during their first press conference — fittingly on National Pancake Day. Regardless, despite KSI’s withdrawal from the fight, Joe Rogan seems to have taken the YouTuber’s side instead of Conor McGregor’s former training partner’s. While speaking about the subject in his recent podcast episode, Rogan said, “How does KSI pull out against Dillon Danis? Dillon’s not a boxer. KSI is a pretty good boxer, he’s legit.”
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❗️ Joe Rogan on KSI pulling out:
“How does KSI pull out against Dillon Danis? Dillon’s not a boxer. KSI is a pretty good boxer, he’s legit.”
“It’s crazy that he would (pull out). You’d think he could not even be at his best and take THAT fight.”
via JRE pic.twitter.com/kYfburBipD
— ACD MMA (@acdmma_) March 23, 2025
“It’s crazy that he would (pull out). You’d think he could not even be at his best and take that fight,” Joe Rogan added. This is not the first time Danis was humiliated, as fans continue to point at his terrible performance against KSI’s business partner Logan Paul in 2023. While Logan was on his feet, trying to box, Danis repeatedly tried to pull illegal MMA moves during the fight.
Nonetheless, the KSI vs. Danis fight is now postponed, with the expectation that a replacement for KSI will be introduced soon. Meanwhile, Danis himself hasn’t taken the news of KSI’s withdrawal kindly.
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Dillon Danis reacts to KSI pulling out of their fight
Dillon Danis didn’t hold back after KSI announced he was pulling out of their highly anticipated fight scheduled for March 29 in Manchester. Following KSI’s video explaining his illness — “My body has legit just given up… I’m coughing up greenish, yellow s*** all the time” — Danis responded with classic sarcasm. “I remember my first cold,” he wrote on X, taking a jab at KSI’s condition.
What’s your perspective on:
Joe Rogan backs KSI over Danis—Is this a fair assessment of their boxing skills?
Have an interesting take?

USA Today via Reuters
MMA: Bellator 198-Danis vs Walker, Apr 28, 2018 Rosemont, IL, USA Dillon Danis red gloves fights Kyle Walker blue gloves during Bellator 198 at Allstate Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dave Mandel-USA TODAY Sports, 28.04.2018 20:14:37, 10810454, Kyle Walker, MMA, Allstate Arena PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xDavidxMandelx 10810454
Danis also pointed out the timing, saying, “Played in a full charity soccer match 2 weeks ago but has been ‘sick for 3 weeks’,” questioning the legitimacy of KSI’s illness. Not stopping there, Danis showed concern for others on the fight card and the fans, writing, “I feel bad for every fighter on the card and the fans who bought tickets.”
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He even challenged Logan Paul, calling him out to “step up for your boyfriend who pulled out with the sniffles, and let’s save the show.”
Having said that, it appears despite not being the one to pull out of the fight, Dillon Danis seems to have been on the wrong end of Joe Rogan’s opinion. However, the question is, what are your thoughts on the matter?
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Let the world know your perspective.
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Debate
Joe Rogan backs KSI over Danis—Is this a fair assessment of their boxing skills?