Despite being early into his mixed martial arts journey, Kyle Davies is confident of attaining gold at Almighty FC 25.
Almighty Fighting Championship returns this Saturday and Ray Thompson and his team are headed to the Metrodome in Barnsley for the second time this year. The card is filled with talent, from youth action, to amateur title fights and professional contests.
One man challenging for an amateur title is Kyle Davies, who meets Teddy Adlington-Stringer for Almighty’s lightweight strap. We caught up with the Next Gen fighter pre-fight.
Read the full exclusive interview below.
Interview With Kyle Davies
It’s fight week! On Saturday, you make the walk in your first outing of 2022 after a very successful return at Almighty FC 21. How good did the whole process of fight week feel again and competing?
Fight week is always the hardest part, with cutting weight and just being eager to get in there and fight. It’s always the week that drags, but it felt good getting back in there.
Quoting your Instagram, “Ask, and you’ll receive” on Saturday’s bout with Teddy. How did the matchup get made, and was it as simple as throwing your name in the hat to Ray Thompson?
I saw Ray was looking for an opponent for Teddy and didn’t think twice about putting my name forward. I didn’t think they would accept at first, with me being fairly new to the MMA game. Still, I’ve been fighting Muay Thai since I was 16 a done a bit of boxing before then. I picked the other aspects up, like BJJ and wrestling, quite quickly, and im confident I can get the job done Saturday night.
Preparation
How much time have you had to prepare for the title fight against Teddy? Would you have liked a little longer, or are you happy to step in regardless?
The belt, to me, doesn’t mean anything. To be honest, I just want to fight the best and work my way up to the top, and a fight and win over Teddy will get me one step closer.
Touching on your last bout with Jake Carey. How did you feel in there after undergoing a period of inactivity from the cage? Anything you felt you done well, or perhaps not so well?
My last fight just felt like a spar. With all due respect to my opponent, I wasn’t really tested. The long layoff didn’t really affect me just felt like I was back in the gym. It did me well having a bit of time off. I could have put my foot on the gas a bit more, but I wanted to get the minutes in the cage in and just have a bit of fun.
Mindset
You mentioned sacrifices you need to make regarding the match being on this Saturday. Was it difficult to put yourself in that mindset, or was it a no brainer?
My mindset is the same for every fight. I just focus on myself and what I need to improve on, no matter the opponent.
Is preparation any different with it being a title fight? Do you take the same measures in training, or does it get cranked up a notch?
I don’t train for a certain type of opponent because iv had plenty of pullouts in the past, and im comfortable where ever the fight goes, and I know teddy is a very good grappler but im Not worried in the slightest if it goes to the ground. I have been working on my grappling a lot, but at the end of the day, this isn’t a grappling match. It’s a proper fight. I know my striking is better. It all starts on the feet.
Training Under Next Gen’s Roof
Next Gen is going from strength to strength at the minute. From picking up UFC victories and bonuses, Cage Warriors, and multiple regional scene shows. Just describe what the team morale’s like and how much that impacts your development training under a roof like that?
As for training in Next Gen and how successful we have been, I don’t really let that stuff get to me or don’t feel any pressure. As I said, I just focus on myself and what I need to do. The gym’s on fire at the minute, and the mat is full of killers, and we all push ourselves every day. My game has excelled immensely and is continuing to do so.
With a victory on Saturday night and a belt to take home. How does Kyle Davies celebrate?
After a good win Saturday, ill be celebrating with a good few beers, whiskeys, a nice cigar, and pizza like I always do. It’s going to be a good one, and I can’t wait to get in there and put on a show.
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Featured image credits to DN4 Photography
