LEWISTON – Marcus Davis says he’s the healthiest he’s been in five years, that he felt sharp and he was “loving and in the moment,” in front of his home state fans at Thursday’s Bellator MMA show at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
And downright disgusted.
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Davis’ fight was ruled a no-contest when Waachiim Spiritwolf could not recover — or even stand up — from what was ruled an unintentionally low knee to the groin area.
“I don’t want to be the bad guy but I will tell you this: It is legal to hit on the belt line. I hit him right on the line,” Davis said. “There was no cup. I felt nothing but belly. He looked for a way out. I think he looked for a way out because he noticed there was no way he was going to put his hands on me.”
For two minutes it looked like Davis, the former UFC mixed martial arts star from Bangor, was ready to show the Colisee crowd and a TV audience he was ready to reclaim star status.
Patient and steady, Davis landed a pair of head kicks, put in a sharp left hand and had an underhook choke hold in place just waiting for Spiritwolf to make a mistake.
“He knew it was going to be really, really hard and he took the easy way out,” Davis said.
After a full five minutes on the mat, Spiritwolf was unable to get to his feet or really even attempt to do so and the fight was called. Five minutes later he was finally helped from the cage.
“This is my home state and (the fans) got robbed from being able to see a great show and I got robbed from having another win on my record,” Davis said. “It’s not about that really for me now but it is about just being able to compete. I’m going to be 40 this year.”
Davis will be back at the Colisee on May 18, headlining a New England Fights card in a welterweight match against Darrius Heyliger of Ithaca, N.Y.
“In less than two months I’m going to be back in here and I’m going to be fighting a kid who is gonna be game, who is gonna be hungry,” Davis said.
In what harkened back to this venue’s most famous event — the Ali-Liston Phantom Punch fight — quick endings were the rule.
Six of the seven prelims were finished in the first round.
The heavyweight fight after Davis’ bout ended with another 18-second knockout, when Ryan Martinez dropped Travis Wiuff.
The final bout, a Bellator Lightweight Tournament Championship bout between Marcin Held and Dave Jansen, did not start until after the Press Herald deadline.
There was another theme to the prelim fights. Live near the Colisee, a loss will follow.
The first seven fights on the Bellator MMA card featured five Mainers. The only winner, Bangor’s Jon Lemke, beat Jesse Erickson, who lives in Auburn.
Gardiner’s John Raio at least got to the third round, even though he was a bloody mess when Vince Murdock of Sacramento, Calif., scored a TKO.
Other fights with in-state interest saw light heavyweight Brent Dillingham last 1:28 before submitting his pro debut to Mike Mucitelli of Syracuse, N.Y.; Bangor’s Ryan Sanders dropped in 10 seconds by former kick boxing champ Michael Page of London; and Rumford’s Jesse Peterson losing in 18 seconds to Dave Vitkay of Atlanta.
At least one very exuberant mother in the crowd, Lana Raubeson, let everyone know she was rooting for her son, “Frosty” Dillingham. Her throaty screams of encouragement changed tenor a bit as Mucitelli finished a first-round TKO when Frosty tapped out.
Steve Craig can be reached at 791-6413 or at:
scraig@mainetoday.com
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