Las Vegas, NV – It’s one thing to score an impressive finish on a UFC main card, but it’s quite another to go for a Hail Mary type finish and have it pay off and that’s what bantamweight Davey Grant did when he dropped and submitted Raphael Assuncao at UFC Las Vegas on Saturday.
Grant (15-6) dropped Assuncao with a spinning back-fist and then immediately dropped for an inverted triangle that was tight enough to put his opponent to sleep in the octagon.
“I’m absolutely over the moon. It was a great fight. It’s an honor to share the cage with Raphael specially seeing as though it was his last go in the octagon. It means a lot to me,” Grant told reporters including Cageside Press at his post-fight scrum.
Following the fight, while the result was being announced, Assuncao did put his gloves down in a manner indicating that he was retiring in the octagon.
“I didn’t know. Like I said it was an honor to share his last performance in the octagon,” he said.
Have to hand it so Assuncao who put on a great performance in the octagon only to come up short in the final moments of the third round.
“To be honest I was expecting a good war you know. Raphael he’s very durable. I know he had a bit of bad run, but his chin looked good tonight I thought. I expected him to get ahold of me, grind me, and I knew I was just going to have to patient in some sticky spots and look for the finish,” Grant said.
“I’m a big fan (of Assuncao). He came at me with what I thought he was going to do. He swings big, tries to get it to the floor, he’s got good defense. I feel like yeah he’s an all-around good fighter. It was just nice to go and get the win against him.”
In the third round Grant was docked a point by the referee due to a fence grab that helped him stay off the ground meaning he’d likely need a finish to win.
“Third round (his coach) said you’re going to have to knock him out. He said we’re probably down two rounds now. I felt the second round was close. I didn’t want to leave it in the judge’s hands. More volume going in there and start swinging. Let him feel, let him know what your hands are like,” he said.
Grant mentioned he would have liked to be on the UFC 286 card in London, but was booked for Vegas instead. He joked he’d like to fight on that card next weekend anyway.
“London if anyone’s available, if anyone drops off, I’ll start cutting weight this week,” he laughed.
“I’ve just got to cut weight this week and put some banana skins around the (fighter) hotel. Nah I’m joking, I’m joking!”
Watch the entire post-fight scrum with Davey Grant above.
