Jared Revel tasted defeat when he previously chased the BFL middleweight title, and now he's out for a second chance at glory.
Revel (7-2) faces George Davis (2-1) for the vacated middleweight championship Saturday evening at BFL 59 in Coquitlam, B.C.
Revel, 34, went for the middleweight strap back in July 2017 against Chris Anderson, but had to settle for a runner-up finish after the doctor called off action late in the opening frame. He views this Saturday's bout as a prime chance to demonstrate he belongs among the division's elite.
"It would definitely be very satisfying. The last one left a sour taste in my mouth with the way it ended," Revel told reporters.
"It was a little hill to climb to come back, but it'll definitely mean a lot. It will just cement that I'm right there and I deserve it."
Revel boasts six first-round finishes across his seven victories, with four coming via submission and three by knockout.
He acknowledges Davis poses a serious challenge and plans to bring his complete arsenal to bear inside the octagon.
"Depending on what he does, I definitely will be looking to inflict some of my stand-up, but naturally, as soon as someone gets close, I go for that grappling mentality too," Revel explained.
"I'm probably a little bit longer than him, so I want to use my range and try and pick him apart that way."
There's an added layer of intrigue given that Davis hails from Winnipeg, MB, while Revel grew up in Manitoba himself.
Now residing in B.C. for roughly half his life, Revel gets to step into the cage before his hometown supporters on Saturday and aims to deliver something worth celebrating.
"It's always great to fight in front of a bunch of people that support you. I love that, but it doesn't really matter where it's at," he said.
"I just like to compete. Whether it's home or away, I just love to compete."
Short Notice Champ?
Davis, 32, jumped into the title bout on just two-and-a-half weeks' notice after Revel's original challenger, Hamza Salim, withdrew due to injury.
Despite the abbreviated camp, Davis remains confident his skills are sharp enough to handle the moment.
"It would've been nice to have a six to eight week camp. That would've been ideal," Davis said during a phone interview.
"But usually I stay in pretty good shape, eat pretty clean, and train regularly, so I feel pretty food for this."
Davis calls Winnipeg Academy of Mixed Martial Arts (WAMMA) home, one of Canada's premier MMA gyms, where he gets quality sparring partners on a daily basis.
Even though he has less experience than most title challengers, Davis feels prepared regardless of where the fight goes and wants to showcase what his gym can produce.
"It all depends what happens in the moment to see how it transpires. Obviously, I'd like to keep it standing, but I'm pretty confident on the ground," Davis said.
"I roll with some high-level black-belts, my size and bigger, all the time and hold my own. I'm pretty comfortable and I'm pretty excited for this."
At just three pro fights deep, Davis is thrilled to earn a title shot so early in his career.
Becoming the BFL middleweight champion would certainly be an honour, but Davis also sees a win over someone like Revel as a potential career catalyst.
"It's more exciting fighting for a title. It gives you more of that fire under you," Davis said.
"If I do beat him, with his record of 7-2, it's definitely going to put me in the sights of some promotions where I'm going to be able to get some fights."
Revel's Shoutouts
"I'd just like to thank all my teammates and everyone that supports me."
Davis' Shoutouts
"I'd like to thank my main training partner Mariusz Ksiakiewicz, my coach and manager Curtis Brigham, and my sponsor Ocean Trailer."
