Davis Beat Impostor Syndrome To Land 'life-changing' Bout

Alfie Davis reflects connected 1 conflict successful peculiar erstwhile he points retired 1 of nan astir difficult moments of his career.

Fighting Alexander Shabliy successful 2021, nan Londoner admits he was "outclassed" arsenic nan Russian cruised to a unanimous determination win.

The 33-year-old says that while his preparations for nan bout were hampered by a bacterial infection successful his foot, nan main logic for his conclusion was psychological.

"I conscionable didn't propulsion nan trigger and I deliberation I choked nether nan unit that he is this large prima I felt I shouldn't person been successful location with," Davis tells BBC Sport.

When a personification doubts their expertise and achievements it is sometimes described arsenic impostor syndrome - a psychological acquisition wherever personification fears being exposed arsenic not competent astatine their profession.

Confidence and bravado play specified important parts successful galore fighters' mindsets that it is uncommon for them to sound doubts astir their opinionated successful nan sport.

Davis says passim his profession he has performed to his breathtaking imaginable successful nan gym, but has sometimes struggled to replicate it during fights.

This twelvemonth however, things person changed. His profession has reached caller heights.

Having won 2 fights successful 2025, Davis faces Russia's Gadzhi Rabadanov successful nan PFL lightweight tourney last successful Charlotte, North Carolina connected Friday - pinch nan victor securing a $500,000 (£372,000) salary day.

Davis puts his alteration successful fortunes down to 2 factors. The first is simply a switch of gym and coaches, which he says person allowed him to "express myself a spot more".

The 2nd is altering nan measurement he thinks astir competing. Davis appears calm and assured arsenic he envisions nan conflict pinch 32-year-old Rabadanov.

"I deliberation I utilized to put excessively overmuch unit connected myself, but erstwhile I conscionable spell successful location and spell pinch nan flow, not concentrating connected nan consequence excessively much, I get into my travel state. Before, I was overthinking," he adds.

"I consciousness this feline I'm fighting now, if he was successful nan gym, I'd make easy activity of him - I've conscionable sewage to beryllium that nether nan large lights."

Davis grew up successful Enfield connected nan outskirts of London pinch his mum, brother, stepdad and 2 half-brothers aft his biologic dada died astatine nan property of three.

He says he was excessively young to retrieve his father, but his decease was what inspired nan early stages of his conflict career.

Davis started kickboxing astatine nan property of 12 - erstwhile he competed for Great Britain astatine nan European and World Kickboxing Championships - earlier transitioning to MMA astatine nan property of 19.

"When I was young we grew up pinch not overmuch money. We were moving people and I was ever motivated to get immoderate money," said Davis.

"I ever benignant of had an soul emotion that personification was watching complete me.

"Growing up pinch nary money, but besides nan emotion of wanting to make personification proud who was watching complete me, that's thing that really helped me."

Davis is joined pinch 2 children and says supporting his family is nan main facet that has inspired nan 2nd half of his career.

Should he hit Rabadanov, Davis will go nan 3rd Briton to triumph nan PFL's yearly tourney aft Brendan Loughnane successful 2022 and Dakota Ditcheva past year.

The £372,000 Davis could prime up is half of what Loughnane and Ditcheva won aft nan PFL trim its prize money this year, but he maintains it would beryllium "life-changing".

"It was formerly a cardinal [dollars] truthful I consciousness I've been done up present a bit," he laughs.

"But it's a batch of money, it would beryllium massively life-changing. I've ne'er knowledgeable that benignant of money.

"My younger aforesaid would publication worldly and effort and person myself I'm going to triumph but now I'm for illustration 'we'll conscionable spell successful location and spot what shakes'.

"It would beryllium beautiful to triumph but, if not, I'm proud of my activity this twelvemonth already and I'm conscionable going to effort and bask nan journey."

Davis is nan first of 2 Britons competing successful nan PFL finals this month, pinch Fabian Edwards facing Dalton Rosta connected 21 August successful nan middleweight showpiece.