UFC 89 Breakdown: The Main Card

Paul Kelly vs. Marcus Davis
Kelly Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 5’9/170 lbs.
Age: 23
Hometown: Liverpool, England
Fighting out of: Liverpool, England
Record: 7-0

The stakes: Undefeated and coming off a solid win over Paul Taylor, Kelly looks like another steal in the UFC’s mad grab for foreign talent. A product of the same Wolfslair Academy that produced Michael Bisping, Kelly’s in prime position to leverage himself as a major cog in the UFC’s push to control the European market. With a win on the main card of a Spike TV-televised event, Kelly can only further entrench himself.

The breakdown: A rugged ground-and-pound artist, Kelly relies on gaining top position and chipping away at his opponents before advancing position and finishing them off with either a torrent of strikes or his solid submissions. Getting inside Davis’ punches and closing the distance will be key, as Kelly’s ill-equipped to survive any standing exchanges with the American. If Kelly can control the clinch and ground action, he’ll have no problem adding another solid win to his ledger.

Davis Scouting Report
Height/Weight: 5’10/170 lbs.
Age: 35
Hometown: Houlton, Maine
Fighting out of: Bangor, Maine
Record: 14-4

The stakes: One of the true success stories of “The Ultimate Fighter,” Davis was quickly bounced from the show but used that learning experience to refine his game; the results have been spectacular. Competing in the UFC’s most talent-rich division, Davis scored six straight wins before being knocked off course by Mike Swick at UFC 85. Now fully healed from injuries that have hindered his training, Davis looks to get his bandwagon rolling again in the country where he has had some of his most memorable moments.

The breakdown: While Davis’ incredible transformation has seen him develop surprising jiu-jitsu skills, his bread and butter remains his striking -- mainly the southpaw boxing stance that makes him so difficult for opponents to time and measure. Against Kelly, Davis must use his newfound wrestling ability to stuff shots and clinch throws, all while creating space to answer back with strikes. Granted, Davis is now more than capable on the mat, but his best bet is standing, where he can use the sharpest parts of his game to the greatest effect.


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The bottom line: While Kelly excelled against Taylor, most of his success in that match was owed to Taylor’s mediocre wrestling. Davis is far more capable of stuffing his takedowns and forcing the kinds of exchanges that Taylor so desperately needed. Watch for Davis to frustrate Kelly early by using his jab and avoiding any tie-ups before putting an exclamation point on his evening by uncorking his powerful right hook.