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Marcus Davis
Marcus Davis UFC 80.JPG
Born Marcus Paul Davis
(1973-08-24) August 24, 1973 (age 51)
Houlton, Maine, United States
Other names The Irish Hand Grenade
Nationality American
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Weight 171.5 lb (77.8 kg; 12.25 st)
Division Middleweight
Welterweight
Lightweight
Reach 70 in (178 cm)
Stance Southpaw
Fighting out of Bangor, Maine, United States
Team Team Sityodtong
Rank Black belt in Choi Shin Do Karate
Years active 2003–2014, 2021–present (MMA)
Professional boxing record
Total 20
Wins 17
By knockout 12
Losses 1
By knockout 1
Draws 2
Kickboxing record
Total 2
Losses 2
By knockout 2
Mixed martial arts record
Total 35
Wins 23
By knockout 6
By submission 10
By decision 7
Losses 11
By knockout 4
By submission 3
By decision 4
No contests 1

Marcus Paul Davis (born August 24, 1973), is an American professional mixed martial artist and former professional boxer who is perhaps best known for competing in the UFC. A professional MMA competitor from 2003 until 2014, Davis also competed for Bellator MMA, the MFC, the Cage Fury Fighting Championships, and was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 2.

Background

Davis was born in Houlton, Maine and raised in Bangor, Maine by his single mother along with his brother, Ron who is six years older than Marcus. Davis was troubled growing up, often getting into fights. ..... He began karate when he was eight years old because there were no boxing gyms in his town, though he would eventually start boxing when he was 14 years old, having his first amateur match later that year. Davis attended Bangor High School and became a professional boxer when he was 18 years old. At 19, Davis began his career with a second round TKO of Luis Guzman in April 1993 and compiled a professional record of 17–1–2 over the next seven years on the New England circuit, where he fought primarily as a Junior-Middleweight. In his last fight as a boxer, he suffered a TKO loss to 34-year-old Ed Bryant which led him to reconsider his future as a successful boxer. He then became excited with the challenge of mixed martial arts, much to the bemusement of his peers. He retired from boxing after the TKO loss in October 2000. In 1995, Davis, then based in Massachusetts, began training in grappling with Joe Maffei. In 1997, he moved back to Bangor and opened up an MMA school, while running a bar. The doormen took classes at the school, one of whom was Tim Sylvia. After Sylvia joined Miletich Fighting Systems in 2000, Davis quickly followed. More recently, Davis has trained with Mark Dellagrotte and his own team in Bangor, Team Sityodtong.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Davis entered professional MMA on August 22, 2003, with a first-round TKO of Shaun Gay. Though later describing himself as "one-dimensional", Davis was able to put together a 3–2 professional record.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

In 2005, Marcus was a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter 2. Coming in with reputed boxing skills, he picked Joe Stevenson in episode four in what proved to be a mismatch as Davis was quickly taken down by the eventual winner and submitted. He was later brought back in episode ten to cover for Jason Von Flue, who suffered a cut on his forehead in practice, though Von Flue's cut was healed enough in time to fight. Marcus fought on the undercard of the finale, where he lost to Melvin Guillard.

Following the series, Davis strongly considered retirement but recuperated from a shoulder injury picked up against Joe Stevenson and went back to MMA training. Davis subsequently bounced back with 11 wins, including a triumphant return to the UFC at Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter.

In Davis' fight against Paul Taylor at UFC 75 in London, England he was knocked down by a high kick to the neck, but was able to recover, gain a dominant position, and secure an armbar as Taylor desperately scrambled to regain control. Marcus won Fight of the night as well as submission of the night for that fight. For earning the submission and fight of the night awards, he was awarded $80,000 in bonuses. His next fight was a highlight-reel knockout win against fierce rival Jess Liaudin at UFC 80 in Newcastle, England.

Marcus Davis lost a very one sided unanimous decision to Mike Swick at UFC 85, ending his six fight undefeated streak in the octagon and eleven fight winning streak in MMA. He got back to winning ways with a submission victory over England's Paul Kelly at UFC 89.

Davis' fought Chris Lytle at UFC 93 on January 17, 2009. Both fighters are former boxers and had discussed a potential fight in their futures since early 2008. Lytle called out Davis at UFC 89. He suggested that the fight take place in Ireland, where Davis had gained a substantial following due to his emphasis on his Irish roots. Leading up to the event, both fighters promised to stand and trade blows for the entire fight, rather than engage in grappling. Lytle managed to stun Davis several times, but Davis used superior footwork, counter-punching, and kicks to win a split decision. The bout shared Fight of the Night honors with the Coleman/Rua co-main event, earning Davis a $40,000 bonus.

Davis fought on June 13, 2009, against up and coming striker Dan Hardy. The fight became personal when Hardy took offense to Davis defeating British-based fighters in Britain. Hardy called Davis a "fake Irishman" as well as a "Plastic Paddy" and said his website "looked like a St. Patrick's day parade had blown up". Hardy posted photos of Davis on Cagewarriors.com which resulted in many being edited in "humorous" fashions by forum users. Some of these edits included homosexual imagery which touched a nerve with Davis and increased the ill-feeling between the two. Hardy won the fight via a narrow and controversial split decision. After the fight, Davis expressed his anger at the decision, stating, "I won the fight. I won 12 minutes of the fight and they gave it to him? You bet I want a rematch, right away."

Davis suffered his first knock out loss by Ben Saunders due to knee on November 21, 2009, at UFC 106. This knockout loss resulting in Davis receiving a medical suspension of up to six months because of a broken nose.

Davis fought Jonathan Goulet at UFC 113. He won via TKO due to punches in the second round.

Davis lost to Nate Diaz on August 28, 2010, at UFC 118 via technical submission (guillotine choke) in the third round.

In an interview with MMA Junkie.com Davis confirmed he would drop to the Lightweight division for his next UFC appearance and said he made the decision after the realization that his frame is better suited for 155 pounds. ..... "It does make more sense that I should be able to compete better at that weight for the fact that the weight difference isn't going to be so dramatic."

Davis fought Jeremy Stephens on January 1, 2011, at UFC 125. After a back and forth fight which saw Davis getting an edge on the judges' scorecards, he was knocked out by a counter right hook at 2:33 of the third round.

On January 6, 2011 it was announced that Davis had been released by the UFC after losing four out of his last five bouts.

Maximum Fighting Championship

It was announced that Davis signed a contract with the Maximum Fighting Championship company, and had signed on to fight Curtis Demarce at MFC 29. He won the fight via split decision. Davis returned at MFC 30, defeating Pete Spratt by unanimous decision in a rematch of their bout from UFC 69.

Independent promotions

Davis was scheduled to face Josh Hersey on September 23 at Global Fight League 13: Heavy Hitters in Portland, Maine, but Hersey pulled out of the bout due to a knee injury and was replaced by Travis Coyle. Davis defeated Coyle via submission in the first round. Davis fought Ultimate Fighter 13 alumnus Chuck O'Neil in a Welterweight bout at W-1 Reloaded in Miami, Florida, on October 15. The bout was to be the co-main event but was later promoted to the main event after Jeff Monson pulled out of his fight with Gabriel Gonzaga. Davis lost by split decision.

Davis was scheduled to fight Matt Lee at Century Fighting Championship: Davis vs. Lee on March 31, 2012 in Salem, New Hampshire. However the event was postponed.

On May 6, 2012, Davis turned his hand to kickboxing to challenge Mark Casserly for the ISKA World Light Cruiserweight (-84.6 kg/186.5 lb) Oriental Championship in Dublin, Ireland, losing by head-kick knockout in round one.

Davis replaced Karo Parisyan and faced David Bielkheden at Superior Challenge 8 on October 6, 2012, in Malmo, Sweden. He won by unanimous decision.

Davis fought against Darrius Heyliger on May 18, 2013 at NEF 7. Davis defeated Heyliger via unanimous decision.

Following his loss to Alexander Sarnavskiy, Davis faced Ryan Sanders at NEF: Fight Night 12 on February 8, 2014. In a shocking upset, Davis lost the fight via doctor stoppage TKO.

Bellator MMA

Davis made his Bellator debut on March 21, 2013, at Bellator 93 against Waachiim Spiritwolf. The bout ended in a no contest when Davis hit Spiritwolf with an inadvertent knee to the groin in the first round and he could not continue.

Davis faced Alexander Sarnavskiy on September 27, 2013, at Bellator 101 in the Quarterfinals of Bellator's Season Nine Lightweight Tournament. He lost via rear-naked choke submission in the first round.

A comment was made via Marcus Davis' YouTube account that he would be retiring in 2014.

Return to competition

On July 21, 2020, news surfaced that Davis is expected to face Nick Alley at Premier FC 31 on October 3, 2020. The bout was later cancelled and Davis was rebooked against Stephen Stengel on November 19, 2021 at Premier FC 32. He won the fight via first-round submission.

Other media

Davis appeared on Total Nonstop Action Wrestling's weekly television program Impact! and at the Lockdown pay-per-view event in April 2008 as Samoa Joe's personal trainer for his TNA World Heavyweight Championship match against Kurt Angle. He also presented the winner of the match with the TNA Championship. In November 2010, Davis received a Legislative Sentiment sponsored by State Representative Chris Greeley of Maine, for his success as a fighter and for the recognition and attention he's brought to both the state of Maine, and the sport of mixed martial arts as a whole. (Greeley started training with Davis and Team Irish in January 2011.) Davis also co-hosts a weekly radio program, Pull No Punches Radio, every Friday night. He appeared on Season 2 of Doomsday Preppers as an MMA instructor.

Personal life

Davis is three times married and twice divorced. He has four children. Davis' family comes from Waterford, Ireland. Aside from fighting and boxing, Davis has managed bars, night clubs, and used to work as a bouncer.

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

Professional boxing record

Professional record summary
20 fights 17 wins 1 loss
By knockout 12 1
By decision 5 0
Draws 2
No. Result Record Opponent Method Round, time Date Location Notes
20 Loss 17–1–2 United States Ed Bryant TKO 4 (6), 2:39 Oct 13, 2000 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut
19 Win 17–0–2 United States Genaro Andujar TKO 1 June 2, 2000 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
18 Win 16–0–2 United States Tommy Attardo SD 6 April 28, 2000 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut
17 Win 15–0–2 United States Richard Zola TKO 2 April 1, 2000 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
16 Win 14–0–2 United States Randy McGee KO 1 (6) Mar 17, 2000 United States Roseland Ballroom, Taunton, Massachusetts
15 Win 13–0–2 United States Hollister Elliott UD 8 July 31, 1999 United States Roseland Ballroom, Taunton, Massachusetts
14 Win 12–0–2 United States Tommy Attardo UD 6 May 21, 1999 United States Foxwoods Resort Casino, Mashantucket, Connecticut
13 Win 11–0–2 United States Alexander Loubriel PTS 4 Mar 17, 1999 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
12 Win 10–0–2 United States John Webster KO 2 (6) Mar 28, 1997 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
11 Draw 9–0–2 United States Lyndon Walker TD 4 Sep 22, 1995 United States Central Maine Civic Center, Lewiston, Maine
10 Win 9–0–1 United States Nelson Echevarria KO 1 May 24, 1995 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
9 Win 8–0–1 United States Alex Ortiz TKO 2 Mar 14, 1995 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
8 Win 7–0–1 United States Andy Winstead TKO 3 Feb 25, 1995 United States Boston, Massachusetts
7 Win 6–0–1 United States Joe LaRoux KO 2 Dec 14, 1994 United States Boston Garden, Boston, Massachusetts
6 Win 5–0–1 United States Chris McClellan TKO 1 Sep 17, 1994 United States Revere, Massachusetts
5 Draw 4–0–1 United States Joe LaRoux TD 1 Aug 11, 1994 United States Malden, Massachusetts
4 Win 4–0 United States Vernon McGriff UD 6 Jun 21, 1994 United States The Roxy, Boston, Massachusetts
3 Win 3–0 United States Ali Whitehead TKO 1 Sep 10, 1993 United States Central Maine Civic Center, Lewiston, Maine
2 Win 2–0 United States Jose Rodriguez KO 1 (4) June 26, 1993 United States Bangor Auditorium, Bangor, Maine
1 Win 1–0 United States Luiz Guzman TKO 2 (4) April 23, 1993 United States Bangor Auditorium, Bangor, Maine Professional debut

Kickboxing record

Kickboxing record
0 wins (0 KOs), 2 losses, 0 draws
Date Result Opponent Event Location Method Round Time Record
2012-05-06 Loss Republic of Ireland Mark Casserly Primal Fighting Championships 4: Worlds Collide Dublin, Ireland KO (right high kick) 1 2:08 0-2
For the ISKA World Light Cruiserweight (-84.6 kg/186.5 lb) Oriental Championship.
2005-02-12 Loss United States Carlos Condit Ring of Fire 15: Inferno Castle Rock, Colorado TKO 2 1:03 0-1
Legend:       Win       Loss       Draw/No contest       Notes

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
35 matches 23 wins 11 losses
By knockout 6 4
By submission 10 3
By decision 7 4
No contests 1
Res. Record Opponent Method Event Date Round Time Location Notes
Win 23–11 (1) Stephen Stengel Submission (triangle choke) Premier FC 32 November 19, 2021 1 N/A Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 22–11 (1) Ryan Sanders TKO (doctor stoppage) NEF: Fight Night 12 February 8, 2014 1 5:00 Lewiston, Maine, United States Return to Welterweight.
Loss 22–10 (1) Alexander Sarnavskiy Submission (rear-naked choke) Bellator 101 September 27, 2013 1 1:40 Portland, Oregon, United States Bellator Season Nine Lightweight Tournament Quarterfinal.
Win 22–9 (1) Darrius Heyliger Decision (unanimous) NEF: Fight Night 7 May 18, 2013 3 5:00 Lewiston, Maine, United States
NC 21–9 (1) Waachiim Spiritwolf NC (knee to the groin) Bellator 93 March 21, 2013 1 3:05 Lewiston, Maine, United States
Win 21–9 David Bielkheden Decision (unanimous) Superior Challenge 8 October 6, 2012 3 5:00 Malmö, Sweden
Loss 20–9 Chuck O'Neil Decision (split) W-1: Reloaded October 15, 2011 3 5:00 Miami, Florida, United States
Win 20–8 Travis Coyle Submission (guillotine choke) Global Fight League 13 September 23, 2011 1 1:07 Portland, Maine, United States
Win 19–8 Pete Spratt Decision (unanimous) MFC 30: Up Close & Personal June 10, 2011 3 5:00 Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Return to Welterweight.
Win 18–8 Curtis Demarce Decision (split) MFC 29: Conquer April 8, 2011 3 5:00 Windsor, Ontario, Canada Lightweight bout.
Loss 17–8 Jeremy Stephens KO (punch) UFC 125 January 1, 2011 3 2:33 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Lightweight bout.
Loss 17–7 Nate Diaz Technical Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 118 August 28, 2010 3 4:02 Boston, Massachusetts, United States Fight of the Night.
Win 17–6 Jonathan Goulet TKO (punches) UFC 113 May 8, 2010 2 1:23 Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Loss 16–6 Ben Saunders KO (knees) UFC 106 November 21, 2009 1 3:24 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Loss 16–5 Dan Hardy Decision (split) UFC 99 June 13, 2009 3 5:00 Cologne, Germany
Win 16–4 Chris Lytle Decision (split) UFC 93 January 17, 2009 3 5:00 Dublin, Republic of Ireland Fight of the Night.
Win 15–4 Paul Kelly Submission (guillotine choke) UFC 89 October 18, 2008 2 2:16 Birmingham, England
Loss 14–4 Mike Swick Decision (unanimous) UFC 85 June 7, 2008 3 5:00 London, England
Win 14–3 Jess Liaudin KO (punch) UFC 80 January 19, 2008 1 1:04 Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Win 13–3 Paul Taylor Submission (armbar) UFC 75 September 8, 2007 1 4:14 London, England Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night.
Win 12–3 Jason Tan KO (punch) UFC 72 June 16, 2007 1 1:15 Belfast, Northern Ireland Knockout of the Night.
Win 11–3 Pete Spratt Submission (achilles lock) UFC 69 April 7, 2007 2 2:57 Houston, Texas, United States
Win 10–3 Shonie Carter Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Sanchez vs. Riggs December 13, 2006 3 5:00 San Diego, California, United States
Win 9–3 Forrest Petz Submission (guillotine choke) Ortiz vs. Shamrock 3: The Final Chapter October 10, 2006 1 4:58 Hollywood, Florida, United States
Win 8–3 Mike Vaughn Submission (armbar) Wild Bill's: Fight Night 4 September 8, 2006 1 4:14 Georgia, United States
Win 7–3 Jason Hathaway TKO (punches) Wild Bill's: Fight Night 3 July 14, 2006 1 1:19 Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Win 6–3 Doug Gordon Decision (unanimous) CFFC 1 June 30, 2006 3 5:00 Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States
Win 5–3 Craig Gunder Submission (guillotine choke) CZ 16 May 13, 2006 1 0:37 Portsmouth, New Hampshire, United States
Win 4–3 Andy Normington Submission (neck crank) CZ 14 April 8, 2006 1 1:41 Manchester, New Hampshire, United States
Loss 3–3 Melvin Guillard TKO (doctor stoppage) The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale November 5, 2005 2 2:55 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States Return to Welterweight; doctor stoppage due to cut.
Win 3–2 Renat Myzabekov Technical Submission (armbar) CZ 10 April 2, 2005 1 1:19 Revere, Massachusetts, United States Lightweight debut; won vacant CZ Lightweight Championship.
Win 2–2 Shaun Gay TKO (punches) CZ 7 July 10, 2004 1 1:33 Revere, Massachusetts, United States
Loss 1–2 Nuri Shakir Submission (rear-naked choke) MMA: Eruption April 30, 2004 3 2:38 Lowell, Massachusetts, United States Welterweight debut; for Eruption Welterweight Championship.
Loss 1–1 Thiago Alves Decision (split) HFC 2 October 18, 2003 3 5:00 Revere, Massachusetts, United States
Win 1–0 Shaun Gay TKO (punches) ISCF: Friday Night Fights August 22, 2003 1 2:09 Atlanta, Georgia, United States

See also

  • List of Bellator MMA alumni
  • List of mixed martial artists with professional boxing records
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