Dillon Danis reveals how sparring with Alex Pereira prepared him for unorthodox KSI boxing fight

Dillon Danis has been working out techniques for his fight with KSI by enlisting the help of the UFC’s most scary champion.

Controversial former Bellator star Danis is due to face YouTube star KSI on March 29, before finally heading back to the MMA cage to face Tony Ferguson under the GFL banner on May 11. And in order to prepare, he has been training with Alex Pereira in New York.

The frightening Brazilian has been in a camp of his own for UFC 313, where he will take on Magomed Ankalaev on Saturday night. He is defending his light-heavyweight title for the fourth time in 11 months, and will have all but wiped out his division should he win.

• Who is Alex Pereira? Get to know the MMA brawler as he lands yet another massive KO at UFC 307

Dillon Danis details Alex Pereira sparring sessions

Dillon Danis was first spotted sparring with Alex Pereira a while ago, but has been involved in more sessions of late. And speaking with Bloody Elbow in an exclusive chat, he opened up about how exactly they’ve been working in the gym.

“I like to be in the pocket and throw,” Danis explained. “That’s how me and Pereira have been sparring if you watch the footage. But these guys [KSI and Logan Paul] they don’t want to engage, run around the ring and circle and KSI’s quality is doing star jumps or some s—.

“Alex is a beast, he’s one of the strongest people I’ve ever felt in my whole life. So I’m excited to see him f—ing knock out Ankalaev. I hate Dagestanis, not all of them but a lot if I’m honest. So Alex has shown me a lot and he’s just a f—ing animal who I’m happy to train with.

Alex Pereira opens up about sparring with Dillon Danis

While Pereira has been mainly focused on his own work, he has had time to help Danis to prepare for KSI. And while he won’t be in the corner for the fight, he has explained that he is hopeful of a victory for his teammate when the bell rings.

“I think it’s a good fight with two big names,” Pereira told Bloody Elbow in his role as a Stake Ambassdor during an exclusive chat last week. “I trained with him today, and obviously, he’s a different weight, a different size than I am, and a different style as well.

“But he was doing very well, He is training with us, and l’Il be rooting for him – I couldn’t say anything different. But I’ll be watching the fight and hope he wins.”