UFC 113 Preview: The Prelims

Marcus Davis vs. Jonathan Goulet

The Breakdown: Goulet has a weak chin, and Davis makes his living punching people in the face very hard. This is the kind of matchup that Goulet has gotten several times over in the UFC, and they usually don’t end well.

Contrary to foolish belief, I’m not an extension of the UFC’s marketing department and this fight defies any attempts at hard-selling. Goulet’s whole style is about scoring takedowns and working a diverse offense from top control. The problem here is that Goulet isn’t going to consistently score takedowns. Davis is adept at using the half-sprawl and digging in over/under hooks to transition to the clinch or reverse into top control.

Then of course there’s the fact that Goulet inexplicably carries his hands low despite being a regular victim of headhunting-minded opponents. One of the few intelligent boxers in the sport, Davis does his best work inside, which is an Elm Street-style nightmare for Goulet, who needs to collapse the pocket to have any chance of hitting a takedown.

The Bottom Line: This is a get-right fight for Davis and a sure main card addition. He recently lost a nasty game of razor tag with Ben Saunders, and that leaves Goulet looking like fodder for the UFC’s matchmaking machinations. Try not to act too surprised when Davis cashes that KO of the Night check.