With only two pro fights in his debut year in 2020 largely due to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, heavyweight Davion Franklin was hoping 2021 would be a better year, but at the beginning it wasn’t looking like it would be.
Following a five month wait, Franklin was able to kick off his 2021 with a first round TKO of Tyler King at Bellator 259. Now just a couple months later Franklin is set to return to fighting sooner than he anticipated to keep his momentum rolling into the last quarter of the year.
“It started off slow, but after my last fight they had me booked for another fight under three months later it looks like it’s picking up,” Franklin told MMAWeekly.com. “I’m very excited to see how this year will end. I’m counting on this year to be a really good year for me. This year is going well. Better than I fought.
“I was told I wasn’t going to have a fight until mid-September, so now having a fight in August that’s great. The more active I am the better I’ll be.”
Franklin has been productive during his downtime by working on his game. So far he feels like he’s made the kind of progression he was looking to when he came into the year.
“I said at the beginning of my career before my first fight my goal was to get good, to become better, then become great at an accelerated rate,” said Franklin. “I think I’m doing that. I’m getting better and belter faster than anybody around me. I’m excited about that.
“I’m I don’t think I’m at my best yet, but I think I’m at the better stage this year. I think I am.”
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This Friday in Uncasville, Connecticut, Franklin (3-0) will look to remain undefeated when he takes on Everett Cummings (15-0) in a main card heavyweight bout at Bellator 264.
“I think all I’ve got to do is be me. I don’t game plan around these guys; they have to game plan around me,” Franklin said. “I always say that. I come forward and I knock these guys down. I walk through these guys. Everett Cummings is not going to be any different.”
Now that he’s gotten the ball rolling on his year, Franklin is looking to close out 2021 on a hot streak.
“I want to stay healthy and if I can get this guy out within the first two rounds I hope they can get me back in there ASAP,” said Franklin.
Davion Franklin expects to walk through Everett Cummings at Bellator 264
