Bellator 135
Friday, March 27
Winstar Wold Casino and Resort | Thackerville, Oklahoma
It is a scene all too common in the world of three round fights: a fighter, already up two rounds to none, spends the final frame coasting. While he or she does just enough to not lose, the losing fighter gets inefficiently wild, and the desperation only makes him or her fall behind further. It is a refreshing sight whenever pride and self-belief win the day, to see fighters raise their game to another level, regardless of where they are on the judges’ scorecards. In the case of the third and final round between L.C. Davis and Hideo Tokoro at Bellator 135, both fighters elevated their craft -- one to make up for lost ground, the other to stamp out a potential comeback.
The first two rounds were undoubtedly competitive, but it was hard not to give Davis the edge both times. Instead of fading into white noise, Tokoro put on a memorable performance that saw him effectively go for the jugular at every opportunity.
The third round started off with both men throwing heavy leather. At the 20-second mark, Tokoro dropped Davis with a stiff right, and he tried to swarm his downed opponent from a dominant position. Davis pulled Tokoro into his half-guard, but that did not stop the Japanese veteran from stepping over and attempting an ill-advised armbar; and it nearly worked. Davis shucked himself out of the armbar and stacked Tokoro, who blitzed Davis with a swift upkick.
The referee pulled the two men apart, thinking Davis had a knee down when the upkick landed. The replay showed he did not. Had the fight not been stopped and restarted, it is distinctly possible that Tokoro could have found a fight-ending position or submission.
After the break, they started back in the middle of the cage. Davis started to find his range. Again Tokoro went for broke, firing off a big kick and a follow-up right hand that caused Davis to clinch up. Immediately, Tokoro went for a Kazushi Sakuraba-style standing kimura. It did not work. A brief grappling exchange led them back to their feet. Tokoro went for a judo throw, sneaking in some solid strikes to Davis’ face. Davis reversed position and stacked Tokoro against the fence, where he was met with another armbar.
Tokoro’s constant grind to find a finish pushed Davis to follow suit. He did not just defend himself from the submissions and shots Tokoro threw at him; he looked to finish the fight himself. The final minutes of the round saw Davis attempt a pair of guillotine chokes unsuccessfully, as well as work for dominant positions. It was a great display of two fighters powering up simultaneously, with attempts to finish the fight ricocheting off each other. Davis took the split decision victory, but fans were left wanting another couple of rounds -- if not to arrive at a more decisive winner, at least to see more of the same action transpire.