Davey Grant has revealed that he suffered a gruesome set of injuries that almost saw him lose a digit before winning at UFC Tampa.
The veteran British bantamweight had been out of the octagon for over a year when he began training for a fight with Ramon Taveras on the final UFC event of the year. He had been scheduled to compete in March against Cody Gibson but was forced to withdraw.
On Saturday night at the Amalie Arena, Grant showed impressive cardio and ability to come through adversity against Taveras, handing him his first loss since joining from the Contender Series last year.
There was a feeling of urgency heading into Saturday’s prelim bout for Davey Grant. With his 39th birthday just days away, a second loss in a row after a year of inactivity could have left his promotional record at a precarious 6-7.
However, Grant rose to the occasion and looked impressive throughout his fight with Taveras, who was competing for the second time since being signed from the Contender Series. Almost a decade older than his opponent, Grant managed to outwork a challenging contender and scraped through each round.
In the end, he only lost one round according to a judges’ scorecard, as Derek Cleary awarded the second round to Taveras. It now appears that Grant will pursue further opportunities in the competitive bantamweight division as he approaches his fortieth birthday next year, once he has healed from a series of injuries.
What makes Grant’s victory even more commendable is the revelation that he had suffered a brutal injury to one of his toes and broken another during training camp. There were serious concerns that he might lose a toe altogether as he sought medical attention.
This comes on the heels of Grant undergoing neck surgery, during which his doctor even suggested that he consider ending his fighting career. He shared the struggles leading up to his fight on Instagram along with a series of disturbing photos.
Grant explained, “Kicking was a huge part of the gameplan as always. The trouble is I broke my second toe on my right foot six weeks out and then damn near severed my left little toe three weeks out, needing five stitches underneath so deep that the risk of losing it or infection were definite possibilities. Both injuries were sustained during cage sparring rounds.”
He acknowledged the challenges that came with training in this condition, “It made training real tricky, wearing lots of extra protection and taking various precautions, but with the fantastic support and treatment I got at @ufcpi, along with the care and consideration from the coaches and training partners at @syndicatemma, we managed to get through it healthy and firing on all cylinders.”
Following his neck surgery, Grant has gained perspective on his fighting career. He is a family man and brought his wife and children with him to Florida for the fight, with plans to visit Disneyland afterward.
“It’s nice to be able to go and treat my family and stuff like that,” he stated to the media after the fight. “That’s why I’ve managed to bring them all over to Florida, to visit Disneyland and do things like that. I do it for them.”
He added, “Fighting isn’t my most important job. My most important job is being a good father and a good husband; fighting comes in third. But the money I make from fighting helps me provide for my family, and that’s the reason I do it.”
Source link
