The feud between Eddie Hall and Dillon Danis has escalated again — this time with Danis firing back after the 2017 World’s Strongest Man called him a “dirtbag fraud” on Instagram. The exchange, which began as a heated post-fight confrontation at Misfits 22, now looks like it could lead to one of combat sport’s most bizarre crossover match-ups.
Hall’s September 24 Instagram blast was direct and to the point. Addressing the potential clash, he wrote: “The World’s Strongest Man against the most talked about name in MMA.
“The clash the world never believed would happen. The biggest fight in history set to smash every record ever made. Dillon Danis you’re a dirtbag fraud who hides behind hype and when I ragdoll you in front of millions the whole world will see you were never real.”
And Danis hasn’t let the insult slide. In a rapid Instagram Story response, the jiu-jitsu world champion and returning MMA fighter replied: “I’m literally going to suplex him over the ropes I can’t wait.”
Short, savage and very on-brand for Danis, the reply suggests this isn’t just talk — both men are doubling down.
And with Danis being a ‘collaborator’ on Hall’s initial Instagram post, it appears that this rumoured fight could be edging closer and closer to becoming a reality.
The sparks flew at Misfits 22 in Manchester. Danis made a statement return to MMA after years of knee problems and a controversial boxing match with Logan Paul. He needed only 15 seconds to submit influencer-turned-boxer Warren Spencer, moving to 3-0 in MMA and reminding fans why his ground game is feared.
But the post-fight face-off stole headlines. Hall — fresh from an April MMA debut that saw him KO fellow former strongman Mariusz Pudzianowski in under 30 seconds — climbed into the cage to confront Danis. The two exchanged barbs and a handshake that immediately spawned talk of a fight.
Danis set clear parameters in the cage: “We have a deal. You have to be under 300lb. I’m 170.” Hall, who weighed 348lb for his debut and has topped out above 430lb in the past, accepted the handshake and laid down a bold challenge of his own.
Hall told Bloody Elbow: “He wanted me under 400lb, which I am, so I said I’d get under 300 if he shakes my hand there and then, which he did. So give me 12 weeks to lose 64lb and I will come in and rock his f***ing chin… Honestly, I just need one good shot on his face and he’ll regret shaking my hand.”
He repeated the stance on TalkSPORT: “If he signs that contract – well, we’ve already agreed it – so if he backs out, he’s an absolute f***ing [expletive], and I’ll never let him live it down. But yeah, just give me 12 weeks, I’ll lose 64 pounds, and I’ll be ready to fight at 299.”
Danis appears to be playing hardball. He publicly stated the fight should meet at a recognised weight: “He has to make at least the UFC heavyweight limit,” Danis said, adding pointedly: “425lb is what he wanted to fight at, I’m 170lb. At least make the UFC weight.”
That comment — echoing earlier back-and-forth about enormous weight differences — underscores how logistically strange this matchup would be. (For context, the UFC heavyweight limit is 265lb, meaning Hall would face a mammoth cut to meet that threshold.)
If a fight were to be made, it would be a mismatch on paper and a spectacle in practice: a 170lb submission specialist versus a former world’s strongest man who boasts the world’s hardest recorded punch. With this power, Hall insists his strength offsets any ground-game shortcomings: “[I’m] coming into Dillon’s world, because, as we just saw, you can be the best striker on the planet, but as soon as they get that jiu-jitsu in, it’s game over. I know jiu-jitsu – not as good as him – but I’ve got a lot of strength to back it up, and that’s the difference,” he told Fred Talks Fighting.
Danis meanwhile has other potential targets on his radar, including rumours linking him to Tony Ferguson. But he’s made sure to keep the Hall storyline alive — and now personal.
This is exactly the sort of clash the crossover fight scene thrives on: wildly uneven odds, conflicting rule-sets, and personalities that drive viewership. Whether the pair actually sign a contract and meet under agreed terms or end up trading insults forever on social media remains to be seen.
Featured image credit: Instagram/DillonDanis/EddieHallWSM
