Top Ten Welterweight Marcus “The Irish Hand Grenade” Davis recently chatted with Ben Zeidler about his big winning streak, his upcoming fight with Jess Liaudin, and taking on Georges St. Pierre down the road. Originally conducted for MMA Madness
Ben Zeidler: Tell us about working with Tim Sylvia at the bar and how that led you to a career in MMA.
Marcus Davis: Yeah, sure. It was 1995 and Tim and I were doormen together at a bar. I became the GM of the bar and so I had all the doormen going to a boxing and MMA school inside a Gold's Gym. I made it mandatory that the doormen go there to train. Tim was a real big guy, about 235 pounds and playing semi pro football, but he needed to learn how to throw some hands. So I started working with Tim and he said he wanted to try the Pancrase stuff. He did three or four of those, ended up meeting Pat Miletich, and that's how it all started.
Ben Zeidler: So where did you come into the mix?
Marcus Davis: Well after Tim left, I was still training boxing. I wanted to do some MMA stuff too so I went out, trained with Tim, met Miletich, and decided that I wanted to do this.
Ben Zeidler: The man who beat you during your time on TUF, Melvin Guillard, has been having some troubles in the Octagon lately. When we talked to him the other week, he admitted that you are a much better fighter now than when he beat you. He did say, however, that he would still have the advantage. How do you see that fight going now?
Marcus Davis: You know, just like Melvin thinks he would beat me, I think I would beat him I think that my mistake against Melvin and Stevenson was, well my mistakes were two things. One, I was a much more superior striker but they took me out of my game. I waited, circled, stayed away waiting to set things up. I didn't create anything. Since then, I haven't waited. I brought it to everyone I fought and I've beat ten guys in a row. And you know, I've become a much better all around fighter during this time. I've become a good grappler, a good wrestler, I'm decent at takedowns, takedown defense, and I'm just much more well rounded. I'm more well rounded than Melvin, too. Melvin has great, explosive wrestling but his technique is sloppy. He's got no submission game and I've submitted 9 guys in my career. I've only gone the distance on two fights that I've won, I've knocked out 7 and submitted 9. I've got a good game.
Ben Zeidler: Since that fight, you're on a winning streak of over two years. What do you attribute this success to?
Marcus Davis: It's a combination of things. My game is well rounded because I train with guys to work on my weaknesses. I worked with Jorge Gurgel for fighting on my back. I used to hate being on my back and now I'm submitting people from there. Mark Delagrotti has been working with me for a long time and getting me comfortable with knees, elbows, and kicks. I worked out just last night with Kenny and Keith Florian, two jiu-jitsu black belts. I'm just filling in all the holes in my game. I'm much more confident and I create openings instead of waiting. I bring to to people. That was my issue before, but it's not a problem now.
Ben Zeidler: You've got an upcoming fight with Jess Liaudin. How do you see yourself matching up with him?
Marcus Davis: I think I match up really well with him It's a tough fight, he's very dangerous and underrated. He's got a great grappling game, decent strikes, but he tries risky stuff. He likes the flying hooks and spinning backfists. I'm more technically sound and I'm faster. I think I'm stronger than him in a lot of areas. Everywhere I read, he's telling people that he's gonna stand with me, that he's gonna knock me out. I can tell you that even if he believes he's going to stand with me, once I touch him, he's gonna switch to wrestling. I knock people out with jabs, just ask Shonie Carter. He's gonna get hit once by me and go "wow, I can't believe he hits that hard." I'm training ground, I'm training stand up, so I don't know where it's going to finish but I think he's [Liaudin] right when he says it's gonna end in the first.
Ben Zeidler: Sounds like it's gonna be an exciting fight.
Marcus Davis: Oh yeah, it'll be a good one.
Ben Zeidler: Being undefeated in UFC competition, how many fights do you think it'll take before you earn title consideration?
Marcus Davis: I'm patient so I don't really care (laughs). I fight to fight. I'm 5 wins in a row, about to be 6, so if I get up to 25 wins, at some point, I'll get a title shot. If I don't get one during my career, I'm not gonna look back and say I should have had one. I'll just say "geez, I had a great time doing that." I won't have any regrets and I'm in no rush.
Ben Zeidler: Where do you rank yourself among the other Welterweights? It seems like you're starting to creep into the top ten in a lot of polls.
Marcus Davis: You know what, that's hard to say. I didn't think I was a top 10. I thought maybe top 15. There's guys in the top 10 who I think I could beat and there's guys in the top 10 whose styles would give me trouble. It's all about styles. I could beat certain guys in the top 10 but have trouble with guys ranked below me. I'm not too concerned with all that though. You know, if I were #2, there would be 10,000 guys saying I shouldn't be there.
Ben Zeidler: Tell us a little bit about your big win against Paul Taylor. Did you expect to win by submission or was that a surprise?
Marcus Davis: No, I thought I would catch him with my hands standing up or if we hit the ground, I knew I would be able to submit him I'm a much better grappler than the guys he's fought and the guys he trains with. All the UK grapplers are way behind the ones in the United States. It's like going to Japan and they're still wearing Wrangler Jeans and listening to disco. That's where they are when it comes to the ground game.
Ben Zeidler: What'd you think of the GSP-Hughes fight? Did you go?
Marcus Davis: I didn't go. After training that day, I watched it with my manager. Man, he is scary. Just...I don't even know...un-friggin-believeable.
Ben Zeidler: So, how many years before you're ready to fight GSP?
Marcus Davis: (Laughs) You know, people ask me all the time, what if they told you that you had to fight GSP. I always say the same thing. I'd show up and fight him. GSP's wrestling is light years ahead of mine. Like I'm in Kindergarten and he's a professor at a college. He's a better kicker...a better everything. But he got caught by Matt Serra and I hit harder than him. I hit harder than anyone in the sport, I would say. Mark and I train and he wears mitts and he still says it hurts and he needs to take a break. If he made the mistake of weaving when he bobbed, he'd need help tying his shoes for two weeks. In this sport, it's whoever wants it more and who makes the right decisions.
Ben Zeidler: Any sponsors you'd like to thank? Websites you want to plug?
Marcus Davis: Irishhandgrenade.com and full contact fighter. Joe, with full contact, has been with me the whole time and I'm staying with them. I've had big offers from other companies, but my loyalty is with them.
Ben Zeidler: Anything to say to your fans?
Marcus Davis: Hey, you know what, I appreciate the support coming from the show like I did and doing a sucky sucky job. And now I have fans and having people supporting me in America and the UK has been great.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Marcus Davis Interview
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Penn Rolls, Werdum Shocks In UFC 80 Event
BJ Penn worked his way to an efficient second round choke of Joe Stevenson while Fabricio Werdum shocked oddsmakers with a stunning series of punches.
Friday, January 18, 2008
UFC 80 Predictions
Ben Zeidler examines the match ups that will take place this weekend at UFC 80. Danny Acosta already took care of the analysis, so we'll stick to picks here. I'll fill in the chart once the event takes place.Matchup Prediction Result C/I Joe Stevenson vs. BJ Penn Penn Submission ? ? Jason Lambert vs. Wilson Gouveia Lambert KO/TKO ? ? Fabricio Werdum vs. Gabriel Gonzaga Gonzaga Unanimous Decision ? ? Jess Liaudin vs. Marcus Davis Davis KO/TKO ? ? Kendall Grove vs. Jorge Rivera Grove Submission ? ? Sam Stout vs. Per Eklund Stout KO/TKO ? ? Colin Robinson vs. Antoni Hardonk Hardonk Unanimous Decision ? ? Paul Taylor vs. Paul Kelly Taylor Unanimous Decision ? ? Alessio Sakara vs. James Lee Sakara KO/TKO ? ? ? out of 9 correct Overall percentage for this event: ??%
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Penn and Stevenson to star in ‘Rapid Fire’ clash
B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson must travel across the Atlantic Ocean to take the vacant lightweight title at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England. For Stevenson, a wealth of experience, a distinct side advantage, and a relentless attack make his claim to the gold legitimate. But the enigma that is “The Prodigy” has reemerged and is looking to establish himself as pound-for-pound the best in the world. After five-rounds of battle, who will be at the top of the sport’s most frenetic division?
By Danny Acosta
B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson’s road to the 155lbs. title are polar opposites.
“Daddy” entered into MMA at the age of 16, fighting on Native American reservations with parental consent. He amassed a wealth of experience and titles in King of the Cage and Gladiator Challenge before jumping up to welterweight to join The Ultimate Fighter 2 cast, where he defeated Luke Cummo to earn his spot in the UFC. A disappointing loss to Josh Neer at 170lbs. has been his only loss in Octagon. He then entered the re-established lightweight division against uncrowned king Yves Edwards and won via technical knockout (cut). Dokonjonosuke Mishima, Melvin Guillard, and Kurt Pellegrino were the next fighters to suffer defeat at the hands of the Las Vegan. Stevenson hopes to add Penn to that list.
B.J. Penn’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu pedigree saw him make his MMA debut in the UFC. He dominated his way to a title shot against Jens Pulver in only his fourth professional fight. As a challenger, he was the favorite. He lost. Since the heartbreak of losing to Jens Pulver, his career has read like a Jack Kerouac novel—talented yet reckless. Avenging his loss against “Lil’ Evil” in his last outing and return to lightweight, Penn seems poised to claim the title that has haunted his career.
The Hilo boy has a standing and ground advantage. While Stevenson landed a crisp jab that put Guillard on his back, “The Young Assassin” overextended himself, losing his balance, and leaving himself open for a flooring shot. Penn is too technical and too poised to end up on the wrong side of a punch. The California-born fighter’s stocky build and jerky boxing style opens him up to be picked apart from the outside. It also forces him to be on the attack, attempting to close the distance, and be more explosive in his shots. Against a man with inhuman flexibility and strong angle strikes, this will be tiresome for the twenty-five-year-old. Against an inexperienced striker like Stevenson, Penn’s sturdy chin and heavy hands can guide him to victory.
Stevenson needs to force Penn against the fence and keep him there. Stuffed against the cage, the powerful and tireless fighter’s ground and pound can punish and neutralize Penn’s world class Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Anywhere else, “Daddy” will struggle as he did against superior grappler Kurt Pellegrino.
However, this title bout holds the same definitive factor: cardio. Penn has earned a reputation for tiring out, while Stevenson willed his way to a unanimous decision over Pellegrino. Yet Stevenson has never seen five rounds like Penn. While he has more experience than the twenty-nine-year old, he has not seen the high profile, high-pressure fights Penn has. Both bring strong mental game into the fight, but both are at the most critical juncture in their careers on the biggest stage in fighting. With Sean Sherk next in line and being the first lightweights to headline a card since the division reemerged, mentality is just as important as technique and cardio in this clash.
The featured fight of the night pits Gabriel Gonzaga battles Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight bout. Both are coming off disappointing losses and this rematch promises the winner a title shot in the near future. “Napao” has progressed immensely since being stopped by Werdum in 2003, mainly in the striking department. The Pride veteran has not been slacking either, but a string of inactivity hinders his chances against a hungry and consistent Team Link star.
The Wander Braga black belt has a size advantage over Werdum, but standing with the Mirko Crocop’s former Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor can see him excel. The Chute Boxer can stand and trade yet he lacks the power to endanger the former title challenger. Add Gonzaga’s heavy hands and superior wrestling and going to the ground seems less likely for the Rio de Janeiro native, where Werdum can lure, tire, and stop Gonzaga as he’s done before.
In welterweight action, Marcus Davis takes on Jess Liaudin. “The Irish Hand Grenade” has a well-rounded skill set that includes heavy, technical hands, solid wrestling and an improving ground game. “The Joker” too sports a well-rounded game, but prefers to stand. Rising to the occasion has characterized Davis’ UFC wins against Forrest Petz, Shonie Carter, Pete Spratt, Jason Tan, and Paul Taylor. The Frenchman based out of London has failed to do the same, dropping fights against Paul Taylor, Shonie Carter, and Abul Mohamed. But like Maine’s favorite fighter, he is on impressive win streak, including an armbar over Dennis Siver.
For Davis, winning this fight would place him on a higher plain of competition in the UFC’s intense division. For Liaudin, the win would be the biggest of his career—a message of his arrival. But look for Davis’ fearless fight style and elevated ground game to stifle the more experienced fighter.
In an undercard light heavyweight battle more than six months in the making due to injury, Wilson Gouveia challenges Jason Lambert. The Brazilian favors the leg kick and has a good set of hands to follow. But throwing the leg kick is always a dangerous proposition against a ground and pound specialist like “The Punisher.” In his last showing, the thirty-year-old was dominated on the ground by Renato Sobral. Against the Coconut Creek, Florida black belt Lambert may face the same issues. However, “Babalu” fell victim to a vicious counter punch, a sign of his power and improving strikes.
The deciding factor is Lambert fights out of California’s North County Fight Club. He lacks the high-level training partners Gouveia finds at American Top Team. Standing and on the ground, the Fortaleza, Brazil native holds the advantage, but Lambert has an adaptable game and his wrestling can present problems for Gouveia. This fight boils down to fortitude and cardio—two elements both fighters have neither excelled at nor lacked.
The opening bout of the night is a middleweight tangle between Kendall Grove and Jorge Rivera. “Da Spyda” has the cardio to challenge Rivera, who likes to pace himself, especially during the later rounds. Both are unafraid to trade, but the Hawaiian’s elongated frame poses too many problems for the shorter striker. The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner also has tricky ground skills, where Rivera has proven uncomfortable. “El Conquistador” needs to remain elusive and punish Grove’s aggression by working from angles. Under Team Sitydotong, Rivera has the mind for it, it’s just the execution that might falter.
On a fight card loaded with finishers, B.J. Penn and Joe Stevenson hope to make the loudest statement by putting their opponent to sleep. Capturing gold is not just a claim to lightweight kingship, it is a claim to pound for pound glory. For these two young fighters, a loss is not the end of the road, just another setback. But a lapse in victory in the sport’s most competitive division can send either on another brutal journey to gold—if at all.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Upcoming UFC Event Odds
It is well known that Las Vegas will put odds on just about anything, and so, it's no surprise that that within minutes of an any announcement, money lines are up. And while we won't explain how to read these lines (see FIGHT Magazine's Performify Foster for that), but we will tell you where we think the true values lie.
UFC 79:
Odds have changed away from their initial favoritism for Liddell, now favoring Silva at -130 or around 56%. Both have lost their last two fights and either could knock the other one out in the first round. Pick your favorite here and let the dice roll. I'll be staying away from this action, though...just a little too unpredictable for my blood. If you do want to bet on this one, however, you might want to go with Liddell. He'll win you more on what is being called an even match up and he's being picked to win by just about every professional fighter I talk to (Sean Sherk and Melvin Guillard included).
St. Pierre holds a sizable edge over Hughes (-240 to +190), but this seems accurate, considering the ease in which the former disposed of the latter in their previous battle. Take St. Pierre here. He's back from the Serra fight, his head is in order, and he's ALWAYS in shape. His -240 line is a representation of a 70% chance of winning this fight. I'd put him around 75-80%, making this a great value bet.
Now, for my money bet of the night. Machida holds the edge (-130) over Sokoudjou (even), but Sokoudjou is the more tested fighter. Yes, Machida has fought twice since Sokoudjou's last win in April, but that win was the second of two huge victories. Sokoudjou is simply the better fighter here and he's being given an underdogs line. Jump on this.
UFC 80:
Penn has St. Pierre-like odds in this one, holding a -260 advantage over Joe Stevenson (+200). Stevenson is good, but he's never seen anything like BJ Penn. Expect Penn to arrive early and hard for this title fight, showing why many consider him the best pound for pound fighter in the world.
UFC 81:
Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira holds a large, undeserved lead over Tim Sylvia in the early betting (-250 to +200). Considering that Sylvia is rebounding from a big win over Brandon Vera, he's the top HW in the UFC (at least in my book). Couture is out, Cro Cop sucks, and Nogueira is untested. If I were forced to bet, I'd take Sylvia who I think will be surprisingly ready and in shape. He won't go down to the mat or anywhere near Nogueira's playground. He should, however, out strike the Brazilian to a decision win. The odds makers have only given him a 33% chance of winning, which I feel is too low for the veteran.
UFC 82:
Anderson Silva (-140) holds a small lead over Dan Henderson (+110). It's tough to call this one, as Silva is dominant and unpredictable, while Henderson hasn't been seen at this weight in quite some time. It's easy to quickly call this one for Silva, but we must not forget the ease in which Henderson tore through Wanderlei earlier this year. He's still one of the best Light Heavyweights, Middleweights, and P4Ps in the world. I'll probably put some money down on Anderson, but I'll be nervous until The Spider's hand is raised. He's been given a 58% chance of winning the fight, which is a little low for the man who has single-handedly dismantled the rest of the division.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Sherk Stripped Of Title
UFC officials have confirmed that now ex-champ Sherk has been stripped of his Lightweight title. This is in contrast to White's promise that Sherk would remain the champion due to the lack of professionalism with which the investigation proceeded. The decision to strip Sherk is made even more puzzling by the fact that the suspension was to end in January, just days after the interim title was to be awarded to either BJ Penn or Joe Stevenson.
After his UFC 73 win over Hermes Franca, Sherk tested positive for Nandrolone. Unlike the Nevada State Athletic Commission, California's doesn't reserve the right to overturn a fight's decision (in this case, a win by Sherk). The CSAC went on to suspend Sherk for a year, but after an appeal and many questions regarding the validity and court's proceedings, Sherk's suspension was reduced to six months. Since the suspension is retroactive to the Franca fight, Sherk is technically eligible to return to the Octagon in late January.
Since the process was run with less than perfect protocol, White maintained that Sherk would not be stripped, Penn and Stevenson would fight for an Interim title, and the two champions would meet sometime in the future. The reduction of suspension seemed to confirm this belief, but White & Co. have inexplicably stripped Sherk, effectively making the UFC 80 fight for the general title.
It has yet to be announced whether or not Sherk will receive the first title shot of the Penn-Stevenson winner.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
UFC Main Card Updates
Look no further for all the latest in UFC Main Card updates. Shogun's debut, Ortiz-Evans II, Franklin-Silva II, and Sherk-Penn have all been announced. But where will they fall?
UFC 74: Respect
Randy Couture vs. Gabriel Gonzaga (Heavyweight title)
Georges St. Pierre vs. Josh Koscheck
Joe Stevenson vs. Kurt Pellegrino
Diego Sanchez vs. Hayato Sakurai
Patrick Cote vs. Kendall Grove
David Heath vs. Renato Sobral
Quinton Jackson vs. Dan Henderson (Lightheavyweight title)
Mirko Cro Cop vs. Cheick Kongo
Michael Bisping vs. Matt Hamill
Houston Alexander vs. Alessio Sakara
UFC 76 (Anaheim, CA: Honda Center)
Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua vs. Lyoto Machida
Jon Fitch vs. Diego Sanchez
Evan Tanner vs. TBA
UFC 77 (Cincinnati, Ohio: U.S. Bank Arena)
Rich Franklin vs. Anderson Silva (Middleweight title)
Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans
UFC 78 (Newark, New Jersey: Prudential Arena)
Sean Sherk vs. B.J. Penn (Lightweight title)
UFC 79 (East Rutherford, NJ: Continental Airlines Arena)
Matt Hughes vs. Matt Serra (Welterweight title)
Early 2008
Mirko Filipovic vs. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira II
Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre III
The Debut Of Fedor
