Davey Grant has fought at home in the United Kingdom numerous times, but nothing will top his upcoming bout at UFC London.
This time around the one time Ultimate Fighter veteran, who actually hails from a town about six hours north of London, will have some very special family members in attendance when he clashes with Daniel Marcos on Saturday.
“It’s great to finally to be able to have my friends and family to be able to watch again,” Grant told MMA Fighting. “My little boys are coming to watch me fight for the first time, as well, which is pretty exciting.”
When Grant says “little boys,” his sons are actually 11 and 14 years old, respectively. But this is their first opportunity to travel to one of his fights on home soil. It’s been seven years since he last competed in front of a British crowd, which is why he was so anxious to get booked on one of the UFC cards in England.
Up until now, Grant has never been able to make the timing work. But his wish was finally granted, and he couldn’t be happier with the opportunity in front of him.
“I’ve been wanting to get on one for a long time now,” Grant said. “As soon as I saw the world opened back up again through COVID, and the UFC started putting events on everywhere else, the London cards have been absolutely electric. I was down for most of them, so I’m so pleased to get on this one.
“[My sons] know how important this is. It’s sort of everything I’ve put my life to. They both fight and train MMA themselves. It’s a great experience to get them to come down to watch while I’m still fighting before I’m just watching them all the time.”
Considering his audience, Grant could face a whole different level of pressure to perform than fighting somewhere like Las Vegas, his location for his previous five UFC appearances. As much as that might affect some athletes, he promises all of the attention being paid to his return to England will only motivate him that much more.
“I mean it’s going to take a very good man to beat me up in front of my sons,” Grant said of Marcos, who is 14-0 as a professional. “I’m not trying to put any extra pressure on, that’s just how it is. It’s going to take a good man to beat me, no matter what.”
Grant might even get some advice from his kids sitting cageside.
“I’ll be getting told all my rights and wrongs when I get out of the cage,” Grant said with a laugh. “I should have did this! I should have done that.”
Grant hopes to build on his current two-fight winning streak. He’d also earned bonuses in five of his past six bouts.
At 37, Grant has far more time behind him than ahead in his fighting career, which is why he wants to embrace the moment and make memories that will last a lifetime.
“I always try to be in the moment in fighting, and remember that I can’t do this forever,” Grant said. “I have to enjoy this while it lasts. Before long, I’m just going to be an old man telling my grandkids about how I used to walk out into arenas filled with people screaming my name.
“I’m going to enjoy every single moment of it, and just try to get the job done.”
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