Alexis Davis Vaults Into Title Contention Thanks To Big Win at UFC Fight For The Troops 3

Alexis Davis

Joshua Lindsey USA TODAY Sports

Alexis Davis turned in a tremendous performance in the most important fight of her career against Liz Carmouche at UFC Fight for the Troops 3. Davis outworked Carmouche in registering a unanimous decision verdict. Carmouche, a former title challenger with a military background, was clearly the crowd favorite at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, but Davis won plenty of new fans with her breakout performance.

The first round of the fight was the most tentative. However, Davis was able to begin a key trend of landing some solid inside leg kicks to her opponent. Those kicks would pay huge dividends as the fight progressed.

Things got intriguing in the second frame when a big right hand from Carmouche opened up a nasty cut over Davis’s left eye. However, instead of that playing to Carmouche’s advantage, Davis only strengthened in her resolve. She landed some solid punches of her own right and managed to secure a takedown late in the middle frame. Davis was able to land punches to the body from side control, but Carmouche did secure a sweep as the round came to an end.

Both competitors knew the importance heading into the final round and again, it was Davis who was able to outwork her opponent. Davis’s cut was worsening as the blood flowed freely, but she remained undeterred, landing solid punches and making Carmouche look visibly uncomfortable as she continued her leg kick assault. The bout ended with both women trading strikes to the final bell.

In the end, the judges scored the fight 30-27, 30-27 and 29-28. It was Davis’s second straight victory in the Octagon and fourth consecutive overall. For Carmouche, it was a disappointing setback in front of her military colleagues, and the loss put a dent in her hopes of possibly facing the winner of the UFC 168 bantamweight title fight between Ronda Rousey and Miesha Tate.

While Carmouche remains a formidable opponent for anyone in the weight class, it was Davis who delivered a star-making performance. She improved to 15-5 with the biggest win of her career.

Rick LaFitte is an MMA Writer for Rant Sports


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