"He was like my dad" - Dillon Danis gets real on ugly split with longtime coach Marcelo Garcia over ethical questions

Dillon Danis has shown a rare side of humility whilst discussing the details of his split with longtime coach Marcelo Garcia.

Garcia is considered a legendary coach in the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) community and is known for his strict but passionate love for the sport as well as the respect he believes a fighter must carry.

Danis had been training under the tutelage of Marcelo Garcia for a number of years in New York before the relationship started to sour between the two. 'El Jefe' was focused on making a successful career out of fighting financially, whereas Garcia wanted Danis to remain a respectful figure.

The pair couldn't meet eye-to-eye and their relationship completely broke down after Garcia made the decision to suspend Danis from the gym. The BJJ coach even publicly made a video stating the reasons for the suspension, which Danis has never forgiven him for.

Six years later, Dillon Danis has appeared on the FLAGRANT podcast, where he discussed his relationship with Marcelo Garcia. Danis admitted the situation was tough to take because he looked at Garcia like a father figure:

"It's hard bro, he loved me but he was another one who left me. He was like my dad. He kicked me out. There's a difference, if he would have just suspended me and my friend Munch at the time unpublicly, it would have been fine. You don't discipline your kids in public."

Catch Danis' comments here (1:12:30):

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Dillon Danis praises Conor McGregor for the way he handles pressure

Dillon Danis has revealed a story from the night before Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz II, which highlights how the Irishman handles the pressure of the biggest occasions.

Danis had been brought in as McGregor's training partner and jiu-jitsu specialist in preparation for the rematch against Diaz at UFC 202. The Irishman had previously lost their first bout via submission months prior. Danis was later hired as a full time member of McGregor's coaching team.

Speaking on the same episode of the FLAGRANT podcast, Dillon Danis discussed the night before the rematch, where he admitted that he was feeling the nerves ahead of the fight.

Danis then explained that McGregor was as calm as possible, which instilled a confidence in him that he still carries today. He stated:

"The night before the Nate Diaz fight, we were living with him, I was super fu*king nervous. The night before, we were just talking and I was like bro, I'm actually really nervous for tomorrow and he said something like, 'Stop being nervous I'm going to kill him tomorrow I'm going to play with him I promise you.' and he walks away...He deals with pressure like no one ever, it's crazy bro. It's insane like the fights that he puts on and just like it shows who he is."

Check out Dillon Danis' comments here (42:25):