If you have been following mixed martial arts over the past couple of year, a familiar name is Estevan Payan as he has competed in the UFC, Strikeforce, and Bellator.
Coming up on March 20, the Arizona native will make his Titan FC debut as he will meet Brian Davidson at Titan FC 33 at Mobile AeroFest in Mobile, Alabama.
Payan (15-7, 1NC) is coming off a TKO defeat at Bellator 126 against Derek Campos, which he did not agree with the stoppage by referee Jason Herzog as he told The MMA Report that he was not out. It was his four defeat in his last five fights and three of those defeats came in the UFC.
During an interview that will air on Friday’s edition of The MMA Report Live, Payan stated that he has moved on from his recent defeat and plans to show the mixed martial arts community on March 20 what he has been working on in the gym.
“I never focus on anything that has happened in the past,” Payan said. “I learn from it but a lost is a lost. You have to learn from it and this fight I take like just any other fight. I am going to move past it. I have learned from those mistakes and I am going to show everyone a better Estevan.”
At Titan FC 33, he will meet Brian Davidson on the preliminary card that will be streamed on CBSSports.com. Davidson (12-4) will be stepping into the Titan FC cage for the fifth time and he is undefeated in his previous Titan FC bouts. He has won back to back fights by decision and Payan believes a big difference in this fight will be the caliber of opponent he has faced in the past, compared to Davidson.
“I see that he has not faced the same caliber of fighter that I was fighting,” Payan said about his upcoming opponent. “I have fought a lot tougher guys and he is a good standup guy. I see that he is a higher volume to where I think I am a heavier puncher.”
The Titan FC featherweight title will be on the line on the March 20 card as Desmond Green makes his first title defense against Kurt Holobaugh and Payan feels the winner of his fight, deserves a shot at the winner of that fight.
“I feel the winner of this fight deserves the next title shot,” he said. “Davidson has two wins in Titan right now and I do not think anyone else has as many wins as him. If he beats me, I think he should get the next title shot but when I beat him, I should get the next title shot.”
Has Titan FC officials told Payan he may be fighting for a title shot? He has mentioned it to them, but they have not told him that a win will secure him a title shot. However, he plans to prove to them at Titan FC 33 that he should be the next title challenger.
“I talked to them and they did not seem to worried about that right now. I feel the way I am going to beat him come March 20, it’s going to earn me a title shot.”
How does Payan plan to show Titan FC that he should be the next title challenger? Payan is short and quick to the point, he is going to beat Davidson by knockout.
“I am going to knock him out. I will finish him — TKO or KO on the ground or standing. Whatever I chose.”