Martin Day vs. Davey Grant

Round 1
After a week off, we move to Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, for a big pay-per-view offering that starts on ESPN and ESPN+. We kick things off in the bantamweight division, as Hawaii tries to get on the board early when Day (8-3, 0-1 UFC) comes back after a long layoff against on Britain’s Grant (11-4, 2-3 UFC). The referee for this card opener is Rich Mitchell, and with a respectful touch of gloves, it’s on with the show! Grant winds up with a big sweeping leg kick, and Day can do nothing but take it flat. Grant pursues another, and Day is not thrilled by eating it, so Grant hits a third. Day backs off and tries to let a side kick fly, but the Brit evades it and slams a calf kick home. Day leaps forward with a hook, and Grant avoids the attack and counters with a few punches to the body. Day whips a body kick up quickly, and follows it with a one-two that comes up short. Day circles around the outside as Grant presses forward with leaping hooks, and the Hawaiian manages to get out of the way of most of the damaging strikes. Day swings with a telegraphed spinning back kick, in such a fashion that Grant can get clear. Day winds up with a massive right hand and cracks Grant on the jaw, dropping him in a flash knockdown. As Grant falls to his back, Day dives on top and starts putting together elbows while Grant clears the cobwebs. Day kicks his way free and gets back to his feet without absorbing much damage, and narrowly avoids a high kick flying at his head. Grant fires a head kick back at him, but Day blocks it and rushes forward to swing heavy leather. As Grant appears to have abandoned the leg kicks, Day picks them up and drops one in on the inside and another on the outside of Grant’s lead leg. Grant shoots in low for a takedown, lifting Day in the air and placing him down on the canvas. Day tries to tie him up with a submission off his back, but Grant bucks it off and climbs into his opponent’s guard. Day powers out to get back up, transitioning into a single leg of his own. The two scramble, and Grant just misses with a looping right hand as the round ends.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Day
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Day
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Day

Round 2
The two touch gloves to start the second, and begin to brawl. Both men tee off on each other, and Grant catches Day on the end of a right hand in a flurry. Day fires back to the body, and the two separate for a moment to catch their breath. Grant throws out a front kick to halt and advancing Day, and Day responds with a spinning wheel kick that does not connect because he is too close. A solid one-two from Grant leads to another as Day tries to block the strikes. Grant runs forward and drills his man in the jaw with a flying knee, but Day eats it like a sandwich and the two continue to bite down on their gumshields and throw hands. A string of punches from Grant hurt the Hawaiian, and Day falls back to the cage as Grant pursues him. Grant pours it in with a big elbow and some thudding punches to the body as Day waves him on. “Dangerous Davey” backs up, and then quickly reverses to run forward with another knee, but this time Day sees it coming. Grant scoops him up and slams him down as a result, and tries to take top position while Day rolls to get out of danger. Grant sets up a power guillotine as Day attempts to stand, and the Hawaiian pulls his head free but winds up on his back with Grant in north-south position. As the two scramble, Grant quickly sets up a slick armbar, and Day turns the proper direction and gets out before Grant locks it up. Day uses the position to get on top, and eats a back fist on the chops for good measure. Grant walks up the cage and ignores a potential neck crank from his opponent, before the two men let their hands go. Day retreats, and comes back with a side kick right to the chest, sending Grant careening to the ground. The round ends before he can take advantage of this position.

Sherdog Scores
Jay Pettry scores the round: 10-9 Grant
Ben Duffy scores the round: 10-9 Grant
Tristen Critchfield scores the round: 10-9 Grant

Round 3
One final glove touch checks in the last round, and both bantamweights start slugging. Day hurts him with a right hand, but Grant recovers and fires back at him. Grant tries to nail his opponent with a spinning back fist, and Day closes the distance to soften the blow. Grant shoots in low for a single, and Day pushes off and gets out of it. The two go punch-for-punch for a moment, and Day lands the more significant and impactful of strikes with a pair of heavy left hands. They land consistently on one another as they trade strikes, with one connecting and the other responding in kind. Grant goes to the body and lands with a looping left hook, all while dodging the counter that whizzes by his ear. They jab at each other at the same time, and Day chains a combination together that backs Grant against the wall. “Dangerous Davey” comes back at him, and lands a few punches after they come together, on the break.
A right hand gets blocked, and Grant follows it with a left hook that blasts Day about as flush a punch can land. Day is out cold as his legs crumble beneath him, and Mitchell dives in to save the unconscious fighter from any follow-up shots after this huge knockout.
What a performance from the Brit, and what a way to open Fight Island!

The Official Result
Davey Grant def. Martin Day R3 2:38 via KO (Punch)