San Diego, CA — Heavyweight Davion Franklin returns to the cage at Bellator 300, taking on debuting ARES FC champ Slim Trabelsi and looking for his second straight win.
During this week’s media day in San Diego, Franklin (6-1) touched on how MMA is often a landing spot for outcasts, be it in life or sports. As was the case with himself.
“It’s no secret that a lot of MMA fighters don’t really fit in anywhere else besides MMA. Like, a lot of MMA fighters, they were bullied or something like that, or they didn’t fit in in other sports,” noted Franklin. “They played football, they didn’t fit in, basketball, then they find a life in fighting. I think MMA has allowed me to do that.”
“Sometimes it feels like MMA is grounds for outcasts a little bit,” he added.
Two fights ago, Franklin suffered his first loss as a pro, but he bounced back in his last outing. Asked about what adjustments he had made between bouts, “I just put a lot more focus into my cardio and slowing down, not just trying to chase the finish the whole time,” Franklin said of his approach to his last fight. But since then, he’s recognized that “there is a time in a fight where I am supposed to kind of put my foot on the gas and kind of press forward and put more pressure on when I see opponents tired.”
Franklin admitted that he gave Kasim Aras, his last opponent, maybe a bit more respect than he should have. “I think if I would have pressed him a little bit more, I could have got the finish.”
Davion Franklin faces Slim Trabelsi at Bellator 300 this Saturday, October 7, 2023 in San Diego, CA. Check out his full media day appearance above.
