Marcus Davis isn’t afraid to tip his hand before his fight
with Chris Lytle at UFC 93. He thinks they’re going to a decision, and every
minute is going long.
“Because I think Chris Lytle has one of the best chins in
the UFC, I’ve also got one of the best chins of anybody in the UFC,” Davis told
MMAWeekly.com. “I’ve never been knocked out; he’s never been knocked out. I
think we’re pretty much going to stand there and kick the living piss out of each
other.”
The two made a gentleman’s agreement to face each other at
UFC 89, and it appears this time, they were ahead of the matchmaking curve.
Throughout their careers, they’ve had the same problem:
nobody wants to stand. Both have pro boxing pedigrees, though Davis’ resume is
more accomplished. By now, they’ve gotten used to the idea that their hands are
a nice bonus to a well-rounded game. Davis has had more success on his feet,
but Lytle is one punch away from changing that.
It’s hard to find a fan or critic that sees a dull bout
ahead.
For each other, they’ve agreed to forgo the takedown, at
least until one of them gets hurt. But Davis doesn’t think either of them will
give in, which means he will need to conserve his energy as the fight wears on.
“It helps your focus a little more,” Davis said of Lytle’s
toughness. “All the other fights that I’ve had, I’ve felt confident that I
could stop and knock out the guys, because other guys that I’ve fought have
been knocked out before. This fight, I question if I’m going to be able to do
that. I’m not going to rely so much on sitting down on my punches and throwing
so hard, I’m going to maybe do that in later rounds.”
Where the fight leaves them on the welterweight ladder is
yet to be known. But a good fight, between contenders or first-timers, ensures
a future in the UFC.
Davis not only wants the win for himself, but for the
country where his roots lay.
“For Ireland, That’s a really, really big deal to me,” Davis
said. “I don’t care what any of the critics say, ‘oh, he’s not Irish, he’s an
American.’ Still, it’s in my heart. I want to show the people of Ireland and
the UFC that I can perform.”
UFC 93 VIDEO: Marcus
Davis UFC 93 Pre-Fight Interview
UFC 93 VIDEO: Dan
Henderson UFC 93 Pre-Fight Interview
UFC 93 VIDEO: Martin
Kampmann UFC 93 Pre-Fight Interview
