Mike Davis is on a high after defeating Mitch Ramirez in the second round via TKO at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Teixeira, getting his 12th MMA win and reigniting his rise up the lightweight ranks. Despite the momentum, the 32-year-old isn’t holding back when it comes to his thoughts on the UFC’s handling of his most recent booking or where he intends to take his career next, both inside and outside of the cage.

Mike Davis feels disrespected by the UFC over fight card placement

For a fighter who’s been putting in work on the main stage, ‘Beast Boy’ was not pleased to be moved down the roster by Dana White. At UFC Nashville, he was booked as the second fight on the preliminary card, a far cry from his recent main-card appearances. Mike Davis defeated Mitch Ramirez in the second round of the July 12 event, but the victory didn’t take away the sting of his fight’s placement.

“I felt so disrespected. I was p—– at the UFC for putting me as the second fight on this card in the middle of nowhere after I’ve been on the main card for my last three or four fights,” Davis told Mike Perry on the Overdogs Podcast. He further added, “I felt like I had to go out there and show that I am finishing… I want to fight people. I want to knock people out and take my spot.”

The frustration comes from context. The 32-year-old has three main-card fights before Nashville, ranging from a submission win over Natan Levy in March 2024 to a hard-fought decision loss to Farès Ziam earlier this year in Riyadh. Even his 2022 win over Viacheslav Borshchev put him in the spotlight. But that still failed to impress the head honcho of the promotion.

Despite delivering one of the night’s cleanest finishes, he saw this current placement as a step backward after his consistent presence in higher-profile spots. Despite his frustration, he remains determined. If anything, it’s encouraged Davis to think bigger. It’s not only about regaining his place in the UFC spotlight but also about increasing his profile outside of the cage.

‘Beast Boy’ reveals future plans with Mark Zuckerberg

Outside of the Octagon, Mike Davis has been working to establish a digital presence. He’s more than just a fighter; he’s also a content creator and brand collaborator and has met significant tech figures such as Mark Zuckerberg. ‘Beast Boy’ has previously filmed and produced videos for big brands, worked on campaigns for Meta’s VR products, and collaborated with high-end camera companies such as Sigma.

His relationship with Zuckerberg is not only professional. The two have engaged socially since 2022, when Zuckerberg attended UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Yan, where Davis won. The post-fight conversations developed into a connection, complete with mutual social media follows and texts.

So, he revealed on the Overdogs podcast how he loves Zuckerberg’s passion, whether it’s for MMA, jiu-jitsu, or his extensive research into artificial intelligence, and would want him to be a big part of his future plans. He said, “He’s a good guy. I want him to get back into this stuff.” ‘Beast Boy’ further added that he wishes to get back into training with his tech buddy, as well as fellow fighters Alexander Volkanovski and Israel Adesanya.

He said, “I feel like he’s focused right now on his AI journey, which is cool because I love the AI stuff. I hope he gets back into it because I want to train. I want to go and train with Volkanovski and Adesanya. I want him to join us.” For the 32-year-old, the future is more than just moving up the lightweight rankings.

It’s about carving out a space where his fighting career, content creation, and tech-world ties all come together. Whether it’s breaking into the UFC’s elite or putting Zuckerberg through a Volkanovski-style grind session, Mike Davis seems determined to make his next move count.