Dave Mandel/Sherdog.com
The Breakdown: Based on names alone, this is by far the best fight on the card. Deividas Taurosevicius going against L.C. Davis sounds like a fight between a chess prodigy/bodybuilder and the illegitimate son of Mr. Miami Vice Ricardo Tubbs. It simply doesn’t get any better than that until you consider reality, which is that neither fighter is known for putting on barn-burners or even something as simple as a tent-scorcher.
Wrestling will decide this fight, and while Davis has the better amateur background, Taurosevicius is one of those guys that is really good at figuring out a way to win two rounds out of three. It’s one of those weird talents that defies any difference in skill. Taurosevicius is lucky enough to have it, and his combination of solid, well-rounded skills somehow makes it borderline impossible to beat him in a decision.
While Davis by all accounts is the better wrestler, his actual offensive skills are lacking and he needs a fair deal more seasoning before trying to break out against a gatekeeper of Taurosevicius’ caliber. This is likely to be a frustrating fight to watch, as Taurosevicius will try to simulate the action of a meat grinder with Davis being on the wrong end of that equation.
The Bottom Line: The first two rounds will be uneventful as Taurosevicius edges out a lead and gets outclassed in the third round before just barely managing enough of a comeback to take a split decision.