Magnus Carlsen was poised to repeat his overwhelming performance at Norway Chess 2025. The home fans, the position, and the pressure all pointed to another clean finish for the world number one. But what happened next surprised even the most seasoned chess fans, and interestingly enough, Conor McGregor‘s ever-so-controversial teammate Dillon Danis and MMA fans joined the discourse as well.

Carlsen had defeated 19-year-old World Champion Gukesh Dommaraju earlier in the competition and was expected to duplicate his achievement. Deep into the endgame, Magnus Carlsen was ahead. Gukesh appeared outmatched and short on time. But then the unexpected happened: Carlsen made a mistake, and Gukesh took advantage.

In an instant, the momentum shifted, as did the outcome. The fans remained still as Carlsen smacked the table, apparently agitated, before delivering a short handshake and clapping Gukesh on the back. It was a massive win for the underdog. It wasn’t just a win. This was Gukesh’s first classical victory against Carlsen.

A retribution drama concluded in 62 moves and over four hours. With his win, he moved up to third place on the scoreboard, just one point behind Magnus Carlsen and Caruana. And, as the chess community struggled to process the dramatic shift, the moment began spilling outside the usual circles.

Dillon Danis, known for stirring things up online, came to X to ask a question that has the internet buzzing: “Can someone explain this in MMA terms?” It wasn’t just a casual tweet but a confession that he, too, had been pulled into the emotional chaos of Carlsen vs. Gukesh, and now he needed help to translate that madness into a language he understood.

Dillon Danis’ question instantly became a rallying point, with MMA fans and chess nerds colliding in the comments, citing similarities ranging from last-minute knockouts to bringing up Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall in the conversation. So, what did they say? Well, their replies were amusing, to say the least.

UFC fans help Dillon Danis understand the major win against Magnus Carlsen

MMA fans quickly responded to Dillon Danis’ call with some of the most bizarre yet shockingly appropriate analogies. The chess community had just witnessed a dramatic reversal, with Carlsen, the seasoned and uncontested king, losing to a budding phenom, Gukesh. To help Danis understand the chaos in MMA terms, fans suggested the biggest potential upset they could conceive of: “Jon Jones losing to Aspinall.”

That single comment hit home, capturing both the improbability and the drama. Another added extra flavor, adding, “It would be like you beating anyone in the UFC. Nearly impossible.” Someone else took it even further, roasting Danis while driving the point home: “It would be like you not being beat up by a normal bouncer, impossible.”

Fans who wanted a more technical comparison looked to real combat history. A user referred to UFC 69, when Matt Serra stunned the world by defeating Georges St-Pierre, an underdog victory that is still remembered in MMA history: “Matt Serra’s victory over Georges St-Pierre at UFC 69 in 2007.” Others drew parallels to “Pereira vs. Izzy 1,” in which a comeback knockout reshaped a rivalry.

Even Conor McGregor’s notorious loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov was brought up, as a fan wrote, “Conor crashing out after losing to Khabib.” The message was clear: Gukesh’s actions against Carlsen were the chess equivalent of turning the entire fight world upside down. Then came the examples based on grappling. “Charles Oliveira getting outgrappled by Islam” was a common comparison.

Another commented, “It’s like if Gordon Ryan got choked out,” referring to the uncontested champion of jiu-jitsu succumbing to the very art he has mastered. Well, if all these replies don’t help Dillon Danis understand what happened, then we don’t know what will. But what about you? Did you watch the intense chess battle? Let us know in the comments.