I caught up with Davey Grant on the red carpet at the 17th Annual World MMA Awards during International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
A fixture of the UFC bantamweight division since 2013, Grant has carved out a reputation as one of the promotion's most consistently entertaining fighters. Now 40 years old, the British veteran has built a new life in Las Vegas, where he trains and coaches at one of the sport's premier gyms.
When asked about his decision to settle at Syndicate MMA, Grant had no doubts.
“It’s a fantastic gym,” Grant beamed. “I feel like it’s the best gym in the world, that’s why I’m there. I did move to Vegas to try out all the gyms and see where I liked, and as soon as I went to Syndicate I knew that was the place for me.
“Me and (head coach) John Wood really clicked, and the training partners I’ve got (are) just fantastic. I’ve got everything under one roof and John really wanted me to come and work for him because he likes the way I coach. We’ve managed to make a great life over here for our family.”
The move has coincided with a resurgence inside the Octagon. Grant earned the sixth post-fight bonus of his UFC career with his victory over Adrian Luna Martinetti in April, marking his third win in his last four appearances.
Despite entering his fifth decade, "Dangerous" insists retirement is nowhere on the horizon.
“Yeah, things are going well,” he smiles. “Things are going fantastic! And it's crazy, I thought I’d be long done by now, you know? I just don't feel like I'm slowing down at all. I do not feel like I'm slowing down at all. I feel ready to go, and I could keep fighting till I'm 43, 44. If I'm getting paid, I'm fighting. Even if they wanted me to do it for free, I'd probably still do it!”
Grant's all-action style has made him a fan favorite throughout his UFC tenure, with his fights regularly producing memorable moments. But while spectators have come to expect fireworks every time he competes, Grant says that's simply a byproduct of who he is as a fighter rather than something he consciously tries to deliver.
“You know what it is? No, not at all, because I don't mean to (be so entertaining). I really don't. It's just, it's lucky for me that that's my style and people like to watch…do you know what I mean? So I don't feel like I'm ever having to try (to entertain). If anything, I get told to try less, do you know what I mean? Try and stick to game plans and keep it a little bit less, like, I don't know, flamboyant if you will, but yeah, I'm just lucky that my style, it's exciting to watch, it's pleasing to the eye, and I think it's kept me in the UFC for a long time.”
As for when fans can expect to see him back in action, Grant is targeting a return before the end of the year after recovering from a minor procedure.
“Hoping for, like, December, October. I've just had a little surgery on my nose, so I'm still not sparring yet, but hopefully, yeah. A couple of months and I'll be ready.”
