Renowned Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Dillon Danis (0-0) will make his highly anticipated mixed martial arts debut against Kyle Walker (2-4) at Bellator’s return to Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. on Saturday, April 28 for Bellator 198: Fedor vs. Mir.
Bellator 198, headlined by a first-round Heavyweight World Grand Prix bout between Fedor Emelianenko (36-5, 1 NC) and Frank Mir (18-11), will be broadcast live and free on Paramount Network at 9 p.m. ET/8 p.m. CT, while preliminary action will stream on Bellator.com and globally on the Bellator Mobile App. Tickets for the event are on sale now and are available at the Allstate Arena box office and Ticketmaster.
Under the tutelage of Marcelo Garcia at Alliance in New York, Danis began competing at an elite level on the jiu-jitsu circuit not long after emerging on the scene. Danis would win the IBJJF World Championship in Gi and No-Gi in 2014 as a brown belt, with those victories earning him his black belt in 2015. The very next year, Danis would return to the IBJJF tournament and take home the Pan American No-Gi Championship. Garnering the attention of fans along the way, Conor McGregor also took notice, enlisting the services of the New Jersey native to help him train for his 2016 rematch with Nate Diaz. Always one to challenge himself, Danis signed an exclusive multi-fight contract with Bellator in 2017 and has already settled in for training camp at the famed SBG Ireland.
Fighting out of Herrin, Ill., Kyle Walker will enter the Bellator cage for the first time at Bellator 198, where he will likely play the role of underdog to the BJJ kingpin. Walker made his pro debut in 2013, racking up wins in two of his first three matchups within the calendar year. After taking some time away from the sport, Walker stepped back inside the cage competing for some of the best regional promotions, including a return to Shamrock FC.
Complete Bellator 198 Main Card:
Heavyweight Grand Prix First Round: Fedor Emelianenko (36-5, 1 NC) vs. Frank Mir (18-11)
Featherweight Co-Main Event: Emmanuel Sanchez (16-3) vs. Sam Sicilia (16-8)
Middleweight Main Card Bout: John Salter (15-3) vs. Rafael Lovato Jr. (7-0)
Welterweight Main Card Bout: Neiman Gracie (7-0) vs. Javier Torres (10-3)
175-Pound Catchweight Main Card Bout: Dillon Danis (Pro Debut) vs. Kyle Walker (2-4)
Preliminary Card:
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: R’Mandel Cameron (4-3) vs. P.J. Cajigas (6-6)
Welterweight Preliminary Bout: Dan Stittgen (12-5) vs. Mark Stoddard (15-9)
150-Pound Catchweight Feature Bout: Eric Wisely (27-9-1) vs. Morgan Sickinger (20-10)
Middleweight Preliminary Bout: Matt Paul (2-2) vs. Brian Booth (4-3)
Flyweight Preliminary Bout: Joey Diehl (11-9) vs. Nate Williams (27-17)
Lightweight Preliminary Bout: Tom Shoaff (8-3) vs. Mike Budnik (13-4)