If everything goes as planned Saturday, I think there is going to be a big coming out party for Marcus Davis. Watching his progression from the loss to Joe Stevenson on The Ultimate Fighter Season 2 to his recent KO victory over Jess Liaudin at UFC 80 provides a perfect example of the evolution of a mixed martial artist.

If you go back and watch his loss to Joe Stevenson on TUF, you would see a one-dimensional boxer. Stevenson did exactly what any MMA fighter would do when faced with a boxer – took him down, pounded him, and then submitted him (submission due to strikes). I think it’s safe to say that no one was surprised about the outcome, not even Marcus himself. After the loss, Marcus gave the familiar teary-eyed interview and voiced his intention to retire. In his fight with Stevenson, Marcus landed on his shoulder when slammed to the mat and ended up seperating his AC joint and clavicle. This injury stayed with him through his loss to Melvin Guillard at the TUF finale. At this point, all signs seemed to point at his inevitable retirement.

However, Marcus didn’t retire. While on TUF, Marcus forged a friendship with Jorge Gurgel and ended up going out to train with him in Ohio. Shortly after this, Marcus also teamed up with Mark DellaGrotte and Team Sitydotong. And so began the evolution of Marcus Davis from a one-dimensaional boxer into the well-rounded mixed martial artist I expect us to see Saturday night against Mike Swick.

As you go through Marcus’s fights following his experience on TUF, you can get a glimpse at the gradual widening of his skillset. For example, his fight against Pete Spratt at UFC 69 showed his newly discovered ground game when he submitted Spratt with a leg-lock. In this fight, Marcus also showed an impressive Greco throw that no one expected (especially not Spratt). While his movement on the ground still lacked the smoothness needed, it was a far cry from the fighter trapped in the crucifix position eating Joe Stevenson’s elbows on TUF.

Perhaps the biggest glimpse fans were given into Marcus’s rapidly evolving skillset came in his victory over Paul Taylor at UFC 75. In this fight, he not only amazed everyone by coming back from the brink of defeat but he also shocked everyone by submitting Taylor with an armbar. While this armbar did not conjur up images of Rickson Graice, the transition to the armbar and the armbar itself were nothing short of impressive. With that, Marcus appeared to make an announcement: Make no mistake about it, Marcus Davis is no longer the one-dimensional boxer you expected to be fighting.

So don’t be surprised if Marcus Davis orchastrates a stunning victory over Mike Swick in a manner that you never expected. Does this mean he’s going to be taking the belt from Georges St. Pierre anytime soon? Not likely. Does it mean he’s going to be cleaning out the welterweight division’s Top 5 anytime soon? I tend to doubt it. But what you can expect from Marcus is a model for fighters seeking to become well-rounded mixed martial artists.

get_image

davis.gif

Marcus Davis.jpg

Related Articles:

• Breakdown UFC 93: Marcus Davis vs. Chris Lytle
• The Evolution of the Mount: Why the Position is Going to Change