North London's Alfie Davis says he cannot wait to compete at Bellator 287 in Milan later this month.
The Bellator MMA fighter, who trains at the London Shootfighters gym in Wembley, has a 14-4-1 record after his draw with fellow Londoner Tim Wilde earlier this year.
And he will be looking to get back to winning ways when he faces Frenchman Thibault Gouti, who is unbeaten in his last four professional bouts, on the preliminary card of the Bellator 287: Piccolotti v Barnaoui bill.
The action takes place at the Allianz Cloud Arena on Saturday October 29, with a combined total of 12 bouts on the preliminary and main card.
And Davis sat down for a Q&A ahead of his trip to Italy.
Q.What did you make of your last bout with Tim Wilde?
A.It was a good fight, I started a bit slow, and I think Tim snuck the first round, but the second round I started to find my range and landed a lot more and I think I took rounds two and three.
It was a close fight. Tim was very competitive and was harder to catch than I thought, but it was a good battle in the end.
Q.What do you know about Gouti?
A.I expect him to do what he normally does; he comes forward and pressures, but he is very predictable.
I think he’s going to find it very hard to catch me, I’m going to be landing a lot on him.
Q.How has training been going?
A.This training camp has been going very well, I’m working hard and getting some good sparring in.
I’ve been working on my strength and conditioning and my fitness, so it’s all peaking out ahead of the fight and I’m just looking forward to getting out to Milan.
Q.Have you been to Milan before?
A.Yes, I have been to Milan, I fought out there two years ago which was in the height of the pandemic, so I didn’t get to see as much of the city as I would’ve liked, so this time round I intend on changing this and finding a local nightclub for when I win and enjoy a pizza afterwards!
Q.What do you make of the rest of the Bellator 287 card on the night?
A.The 287 card is nice, I like the main event and the two fighters. Mansour Barnaoui, who has just signed, has got a really nice style and I like to watch him, but hopefully those guys will be future opponents if they are still around.
There’s a few lightweights on the card, Saul Rogers and Tim. One of those two would be a nice fight for me after, but apart from that, the fights down the end of the card are good, and it’s great to see a few guys who have been out for a while, back in action, so I look forward to watching some of the fights.
Q.What is the plan for 'after Gouti'?
A.I’m hoping I’m going to smash Gouti and get back to a top 10 opponent, that is the plan or moving towards the top 10.
I think I warrant getting back there and I’d take any of the guys who are ranked seven to 10.
I’d really like Benson Henderson, or if not, I can take on Peter Queally in Dublin, in February, that would be a great fight.
He has just lost, so he’s moved down in the top 10, so I think that would be a good match up and I can take his spot.
*Watch Alfie Davis in action at BELLATOR 287: Piccolotti vs. Barnaoui live on BBC Three and BBC iPlayer on Saturday, October 29, from the Allianz Cloud Arena, Milan, from 5.30pm BST.
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