Joey Davis, a wrestler who achieved four Division II National Championship titles and has a flawless record of 8-0 in MMA competitions, chose to take a break in 2020 despite being on the verge of graduating from a prospect to a serious title contender. However, his hiatus was a self-imposed one, and he utilized his time to improve and get better before booking his next fight, scheduled to take place on Friday at Bellator 293.

Despite almost three years off, Davis claims he is not worried about ring rust, as he has been training consistently to add new pieces to his arsenal with the Bodyshop team in California, alongside former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee. The goal is to “shock the world.”

Davis has been working hard to improve his fighting techniques and wants to be like “all the greats that were in front of” him. Comparing himself to his previous version, Davis says there are no night-and-day differences, but he does feel like a revamped fighter who is ready to contend for the Bellator title.

Davis is more focused and determined than ever, having spent his break focusing on his fighting techniques, studying his old footage, and assessing the areas he needed to improve. He is confident in his abilities and is not worried about the number of fights he will have this year or when he will reach title contention as he believes he has plenty of time.

Unlike most fighters who rush their careers, Davis took his time to prepare and is now ready to showcase his fighting abilities. He is not in a rush to do anything and has gained confidence from his hiatus. He is “ready for anything that my opponent throws at me” and is a “hard opponent to go against for anybody.”