UFC bantamweight Davey Grant has said his family's move from Bishop Auckland to Las Vegas has paid off handsomely, with the 40-year-old enjoying life in Sin City and a new coaching role.
Grant, who will make his 17th Octagon appearance on November 7 against Elijah Smith at the Apex in his new home city, said the whole family is now settled in Nevada.
A gamble that paid off
“We’re loving it. I’ve got the whole family here now. I used to come over and do (fight) camps in Vegas for around eight weeks,” Grant said.
“I enjoyed them so much, but there was some guilt because I wanted to share these experiences with them.”
The fighter, who moved with his wife Sherrie and children Jay, Nate and Heidi, said the sunny weather and the range of activities on offer have been a major draw.
Life in Las Vegas
“When you live in Vegas and you’ve got the sunny weather all the time and there’s a pool on your front doorstep, it’s nice,” Grant said.
“People who’ve come from warmer climates or big cities probably take it a little bit for granted. But when you’re from where I’m from, you really, really learn to appreciate it.
“There’s so much stuff to do. You don’t realise because Vegas is a very, very, big city, but it's not all concrete and casinos.”
New role at Syndicate MMA
Having run his own gym back in Bishop Auckland, Grant has taken up a position as head striking coach at Syndicate MMA, founded by John Wood, husband of retired Scottish UFC star Joanne Wood.
“As a family, we wanted to see what else was out there. We wanted to try to move to a nice, warm country, a better climate, and Dubai was going to be the plan,” Grant said.
“Then John Wood ended up talking me into coming over, saying, ‘Look, I really want you to work in the gym’. It all worked out fantastic.
“My training’s here and I already have a great network of friends over in Vegas.
“It has just worked out brilliantly. Two of my kids are coaching in the gym and doing the classes, while my little girl is just doing the classes. It’s exactly like my gym was back home – a real family gym.”
Grant and his family are documenting their adventures on Instagram at @thegrantsinvegas.
