Davey Grant likes his next UFC assignment because it has the feel of a potential extra check in his pocket.
Grant (15-8 MMA, 8-7 UFC), a veteran of the UFC's bantamweight division, returns to the cage Saturday on the main card of UFC Fight Night 274 (Paramount+) at Meta APEX in Las Vegas. The 40-year-old Englishman takes on Adrian Luna Martinetti, who's 10 years younger than him.
At this point in his career, Grant puts a lot of importance on on having a dance partner willing to put on a show, as it could get him to collect the $100,000 Fight of the Night bonus. Given the UFC entry Martinetti (17-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) had, which was arguably the best fight in Contender Series history, Grant is feeling pretty good about his chances.
"Getting any sort of opponent, we're going to look at someone who's there for a bonus," Grant told MMA Junkie. "I mean, obviously, I'd much prefer the performance bonus. I want to knock people out quick, you know what I mean? But you never know, like the Fight of the Night and everything. These 100 grand bonuses definitely change things. So the match looks like a big key on that, I think."
Although it's a fun matchup on paper, some may see this pairing as an odd one. Grant has 15 fights in the UFC, while Martinetti will be making his octagon debut.
"I'm in a weird position at the company where I feel like if they give me someone maybe just on the outskirts of the top 15, maybe even top 15, or anyone who's just come in, I could sort of fight anyone, which I feel like is a good position to be in because then there are so many different people that I can fight," Grant said. "It doesn't really make a difference."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Fight of the Night? Davey Grant likes his chances
