NYPD Investigates UFC 322 Brawl Involving Dillon Danis

The New York City Police Department (NYPD) are investigating the brawl between Dillon Danis and members of Islam Makhachev’s team at UFC 322. 

The brawl broke out as Danis was in attendance for Makhachev’s fight against Jack Della Maddalena, as Islam won a unanimous decision to become the new welterweight champion. The brawl came following the bad blood between Danis and Makhachev’s camp, which was showcased on social media.

Magomed Bekshievich Zaynukov, known as Chanco, is a member of team Islam. He was seen throwing several punches at Danis, while Dillon has been banned from all future UFC events by Dana White. Even though the UFC chose not to press charges, the NYPD’s ongoing investigation, which New York Mayor Eric Adams publicly vowed would hold everyone accountable, presents a risk for those involved. 

“These assaults at Madison Square Garden are completely unacceptable. The NYPD is already conducting a full investigation, and everyone responsible will be held accountable,” Adams said

White Reacts

The cause of the brawl could have been neutralized through preventing Danis from attending, knowing there was bad blood. Alternatively, Danis should have been seated elsewhere. Dana White looked back at the incident with regret, as he recognized that he had made a mistake with the seating.

“I blame myself for that, actually. They came back and told me right before I walked out for the main card that Dillon Danis was here, and he was moving around, sitting in fighter seats and not sitting in his own seat that he had a ticket [for]. They said, ‘You want us to throw him out of here? And I said, ‘he has a ticket?'” White said. “And they said ‘yeah, [Jorge] Masvidal said he’s going to f— him up on sight.’ And I said, ‘well where’s Masvidal sitting?’

“He said, ‘well he’s six or seven rows away from Masvidal.’ I said, ‘well if the guy has a ticket, let him sit in his seat and let him do what he’s doing and keep an eye on him. It never even crossed my mind, as stupid as this could be, that the entire Muslim Brotherhood was here tonight in the first five rows for Islam, and as soon as it broke out, I was over on the other side, and I go, ‘f—, I know exactly what that is,’ I knew it,” White said