Meet Davion Franklin.
Largely unfamiliar to fans outside of the “hardcorest” of the hardcores, Franklin (0-0 MMA, 0-0 BMMA) never has stepped into a cage for mixed martial arts competition – pro or amateur. But that changes Friday when he makes his professional debut at Bellator 239 against J.W. Kiser (5-2 MMA, 0-1 BMMA).
In late 2019, Franklin became the second fighter to receive Bellator’s Jackson Wink/Mata Leon scholarship. Franklin’s teammate and Bellator light heavyweight, Christian Edwards, was the first to earn the scholarship earlier in the year.
A standout junior college wrestler and football player, Franklin began his journey down the MMA path approximately 12 months ago. In less than one year’s time, he gained the reputation of a standout up-and-comer at one of the world’s most renowned gyms.
“I felt like MMA was something I should have done a long time ago,” Franklin told MMA Junkie. “I really wish I didn’t wait until I was 24 to get into it. I got into it because I was a wrestler. There aren’t many outlets for wrestlers. I always had people (telling me), ‘You should do MMA. You should do MMA.’ I’ve been hearing that since I was 18.
“When I finally decided to give that a shot, it didn’t go as well. Then, one of my good friends, Jon Jones, I was inspired by him. I went back and used my wrestling. It just worked out, and I became more serious with MMA. It just so happened that I come to Jackson Wink and became, from what I understand, kind of a standout.”
Wrestling, football, and now MMA – Franklin’s journey in pursuit of a pro athletic career has had its ups and downs. While the success was great, Franklin stresses the memory of failure helps his pursuit of MMA greatness.
“I’m 25, so I feel like I’ve been in these kind of situations,” Franklin said. “I’ve been on scholarships for football in college – and wrestling, of course. It just tells me not to make the same mistakes I made before. I have to take full advantage of the opportunity. I’ve got to prove my coaches right and prove myself right.”
Friday night will be Franklin’s introduction to the mainstream MMA world. He’s excited and itching to make his debut, especially due to his originally scheduled debut falling apart in November 2019.
“You’ve just got to think of it like, I’ve been in an eight-month training camp,” Franklin said. “Now up until this point, it’s been a 13-month training camp. I never stop training. It was frustrating, but I think anyone would be frustrated.”
The Bellator heavyweight roster is talented, but Franklin sees voids that need to be filled. According to the 24-year-old fighter, there’s no one like him in the division.
“I’m not there just to win,” Franklin said. “I want to dominate. I want to be the most dominating heavyweight on Bellator’s roster. I’ve seen everybody in the division. There’s no one there like me. I don’t want to come off as someone who’s fooling myself or getting too ahead of themselves, but there’s no excitement on the Bellator heavyweight roster.
“I want to be exciting and go out and have fun. I want to entertain people.”
Bellator 239 takes place Friday at WinStar World Casino Resort in Thackerville, Okla. The main card airs on Paramount and streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.
Meet Bellator 239's Davion Franklin, the second recipient of the Jackson Wink scholarship
