Dillon Danis to make MMA debut against Kyle Walker on Bellator 198 main card

Dillon Danis has an opponent for his MMA debut.

The Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace will take on Kyle Walker on the main card of Bellator 198 on April 28 in Rosemont, Ill., the promotion announced Thursday. Danis’ debut date and him training at SBG Ireland was first reported by MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani last week .

Danis, 24, has been a fixture on the BJJ scene for many years and a former two-time IBJJF world champion as a brown belt. The New Jersey native rose to prominence in the MMA world when Conor McGregor brought him in as a training partner for his second fight with Nate Diazin 2016. Danis has become an unofficial member of McGregor’s SBG Ireland team since then and will train in Dublin under John Kavanagh for this camp.

Walker (2-4) has lost his last three fights on the regional scene, last winning in 2013. The 31-year-old Illinois native is a veteran of King of the Cage and Shamrock FC.

Bellator 198 will feature a main event between heavyweight legends Fedor Emelianenko andFrank Mir, which acts as a first-round matchup in the Bellator Heavyweight World Grand Prix tournament. In the co-main event, Sam Sicilia takes on Emmanuel Sanchez in a featherweight bout. The card will take place at the Allstate Arena in the suburbs of Chicago.