After getting launched from the UFC in early 2024, Devin Clark — like many different fighters — signed with the International Battle League for his subsequent MMA chapter. The 17-fight octagon veteran even had his first combat booked in opposition to previous UFC title challenger Thiago Santos in Could. However the combat, or some other occasion, didn’t occur.
Now, Clark’s subsequent MMA chapter is a full circle one as he faces fellow ex-UFC fighter Bevon Lewis in a heavyweight matchup this Friday at LFA 214. “Brown Bear” will get to compete in his hometown of Sioux Falls, S.D. Moreover, Clark signed to the UFC after competing for RFA, which is now merged into what followers now know as LFA.
With regards to the GFL scenario, many fighters concerned have publicly chosen the facet of “it’s by no means going to occur,” or “there’s nonetheless one thing right here.” Clark selected to have a look at issues a bit in a different way.
“Actually, I forgot about it,” Clark instructed MMA Preventing. “Yeah, since I’m doing this and I’ve had different issues on the horizon. We even entertained [a BKFC fight], stuff like that, after which this LFA alternative popped up.
“So yeah, I positively simply sort of forgot about it and haven’t actually thought of it since, till now.”
Friday marks Clark’s first combat since dropping a call in his last UFC bout to Marcin Prachnio 18 months in the past. Since then, Clark’s building and handyman enterprise has taken off, which has stored him extraordinarily busy whereas nonetheless coaching and honing his expertise within the gymnasium. The 35-year-old can also be teaching wrestling at Augustana College in Sioux Falls.
After a UFC run that consisted on largely mild heavyweight bouts, Clark is blissful to go on a heavyweight journey within the sport.
“I could make 205 no drawback, but when I’m not, yeah, I’m snug at heavyweight,” Clark stated. “I’m weighing round 250 kilos, in fairly good condition, and I’ve all my energy, energy. I’m extra sturdy after I’m not reducing weight.
“Once I was combating 205, yeah, I lose just a little little bit of muscle and I begin from 240, then I’ve to wind down in camp to 220. So half of the camp [I’m] spending sort of watching my weight, reducing weight, after which we water load or water minimize from there, and I’m blissful at heavyweight.”
With Clark getting set to compete in his house metropolis for the primary time in practically a decade, he faces Lewis, who appears to be like for his first win since his lone UFC victory in April 2020. In his most up-to-date bout, Lewis was stopped by Julius Walker, who ended up getting his UFC shot three months later.
Clark holds eight UFC victories all through his profession, and coincidentally, some of the memorable wins came about within the one combat he had that didn’t happen at 205.
“Should you have a look at the stats, I had one knockout within the UFC and that was the one time that I fought at heavyweight,” Clark defined. “So it’s like I’m sort of hanging on that just a little bit. However I had full camp and it was sort of bizarre as a result of on the time it was sort of a short-notice take care of William Knight and we needed to change opponents. He stepped up, however he stated he can solely do it at heavyweight. So we’re like, all proper, and I knew he was a lightweight heavyweight. So I’m like, ‘Oh, he can’t be that massive.’
“We get to weigh-in day and I’m within the again. I haven’t weighed in but. and I hear him up there and so they’re like, ‘251 kilos.’ It’s like, ‘Oh, OK. I used to be off just a little bit.’ And I had already began coming down with my weight in camp, so I used to be weighing about 223 is what I believe I weighed in at. So I used to be positively a smaller fighter, however I nonetheless wasn’t reducing weight, so I believe that helped so much.”
