Bellator 192’s Joey Davis Talks Improving His Striking, Training with Team Bodyshop

Joey Davis appears at Bellator 192
Joey Davis Credit: Bellator MMA

Joey Davis will look to maintain his perfect record when he takes on Ian Butler at Bellator 192 this Saturday.

Welterweight prospect Joey Davis returns to action at Bellator 192, the promotion’s first card of the year — and potentially one of it’s biggest. The undefeated wrestler was on the scene at today’s open media workouts, in advance of his bout with Ian Butler on Saturday. Davis (2-0) trains with Team Bodyshop, headed by Antonio McKee and featuring his son, A.J. McKee, Kevin Ferguson Jr. (a.k.a. Baby Slice), Aron Pico, and, of course, Davis himself.

He spoke to Cageside Press about a host of topics, including working on his striking, something the standout wrestler has really focused on.

“I put three years into it right now, my striking” Davis told Cageside’s Gabriel Gonzalez. “I’m looking a lot better, I’m turning my punches over a lot more, I’m keeping my hands up a lot more.” Importantly, he’s also ready for the five minute rounds that come with MMA, something that took a little getting used to as a wrestler. Ultimately, “everything is coming along the way I planned.”

With Davis belonging to a gym that seems to be building steam and gaining talent, what’s attracting such standout talent, especially the young up-and-comers?

“The flashiness, the swag we’ve got, the way we act, talk, and have fun” he suggested. “We’ve got a real good brotherhood. We’ve got people in the gym that I just love. I love learning from. People in our gym have been through almost everything in life. So you can pick and choose who you want to learn from, who you want to admire.”

Check the video below for our full chat with Joey Davis! Bellator 192 takes place January 20 at The Forum in Los Angeles, CA. The main card airs on Spike TV, while the prelims can be found online via bellator.com