Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC
- One of the worst things about a broken jaw is trying to suck mashed potato for the weeks after.
- That's according to Britain's UFC star Davey Grant, who won his last bout despite a double fracture.
- Grant takes knockout-winning momentum into his Octagon return Saturday.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
One of the worst things about suffering a broken jaw in the UFC is trying to suck mashed potato for weeks after.
That's according to Davey Grant, who scored one of the best knockouts of the summer on Fight Island last year despite a double fracture in his face.
Grant returns Saturday to the Octagon as he competes in a bantamweight match against the former street-fighter Jonathan Martinez at the behind-closed-doors UFC Fight Night 187 event inside the Apex, Las Vegas.
And he does so riding the wave of great momentum after obliterating Martin Day in a fight Grant describes as "the pinnacle" of his career.
He told Insider: "It was a fantastic but a weird scenario because we were in a pandemic, yet there I was, traveling around and laying on a beach in a red-hot country, getting to fight in the first-ever Fight Island event in Abu Dhabi."
Insider was one of the few publications present at the inaugural Yas Island festival in 2020, and we were blown away by the way Grant overcame a shellacking in the opening round, to put Day away with a left hook knockout in the third.
The UFC seemingly agreed as it paid Grant a $50,000 performance-related bonus reserved for those who win in style.
But rather than immediately celebrate his win, and bonus, Grant was taken to hospital. "Straight away, I thought, 'F---, my jaw!' because of all the pain," he said.
"It was a bit anti-climactic because after going to hospital, I wasn't allowed back in the UFC bubble because we left the safety zone to get treatment.
"I got my jaw scanned, found out what was actually wrong with it, and just dealt with the pain."
He continued: "You know what it's like after a fighter fights - we just want to eat s---.
"The guys who I work with, they'd been eaten this burger all week - it was called the Yas Burger and it looked gorgeous - and I couldn't wait to have one of those myself once I'd fought.
"So, in a hotel, trying to eat it … I just couldn't do anything with it. I was trying to suck the burger. It was a nightmare."
Grant shrugged the experience off as a mere occupational hazard. He said his jaw was broken in two places. "One by the ear and another by the corner join … whatever you call it," he said.
He was in agony on the return flight from the Middle East to the UK, but none of that mattered when he was reunited with his family, got some cuddles, and had surgery in England where doctors put a metal place in his face.
Grant then used some of his show money, win money, and bonus money to invest in a business. "I opened an Italian steakhouse called Cavello's Restaurant."
He laughed when we asked if he's selling those famous burgers he'd tried to eat on Yas Island.
This is Cavello's:
Photos by Cavello's
"It was a nightmare for the first few weeks, sucking on mashed potato and soup'
Within three months of suffering a double fracture in his jaw, Grant was taking punches to the face once again as he had recovered sooner than anticipated.
"I did pads as soon as I felt comfortable, conditioning work, and then after week nine I was sparring," Grant said.
"It was a nightmare for the first few weeks, sucking on mashed potato and soup. And I just wanted a Yas Burger!
"I had time off since the last one to let my jaw heal but it didn't take that long, straight back into training, straight back into sparring, and now I'm ready to go for another one on Saturday," he said. "I'm feeling fantastic and ready to go."
In Texan fighter Martinez, Grant comes up against a guy with a pro MMA record of 13 wins (seven knockouts, two submissions, and four decisions), but he's unfazed as he told us he believes he's better than his opponent in all areas.
"It's a great fight, he's a good fighter, and I want to be in these entertaining fights," said Grant.
"Johnathan Martinez is there for this. I think my style matches up well with him, but think I'm better than him in all areas so I'm not too bothered where the fight takes place, and I'm really looking forward to it as it's a good test of skills and he's there for it.
"Ideally, I'll go get the win Saturday, and fight another two times this year and build on this win streak of mine.
"I feel like I'm in the best condition of my life and I'm constantly getting better, so I just want to get a run together, no injuries, and show the world what I'm capable of doing."