Marcus Davis, 48, Finishes MMA Return After Long Layoff

Marcus DavisFormer UFC fighter Marcus Davis aimed to prove that 48 is the new 28 as he returned to the cage to earn a submission win after seven years away. Davis made his MMA return at Premier FC 32 this past weekend. He also owns arguably one of the most epic nicknames in the sport today; […]

Marcus Davis

Former UFC fighter Marcus Davis aimed to prove that 48 is the new 28 as he returned to the cage to earn a submission win after seven years away.

Davis made his MMA return at Premier FC 32 this past weekend. He also owns arguably one of the most epic nicknames in the sport today; “The Irish Hand Grenade”.

Davis had some struggles in the opening minutes of the fight against his opponent, Stephen Stengel. Stengel is 11 years younger than Davis and had his way on the feet early on.

But, Davis would fight through some early damage he suffered at the hands of Stengel to get the fight to the ground. He would then finish the fight with a triangle choke to earn his first career win by that specific move.

Davis’ submission was also his first finish of any kind in nearly 10 years, with his previous one coming against Travis Coyle at GFL 13. Before that, he had wrapped up his UFC tenure with back-to-back losses to Jeremy Stephens and Nate Diaz.

He shared the finish on his Instagram page.

Marcus Davis Made His Professional Debut In 2003

Stengel came into the fight having a 4-16 record, but that didn’t stop avid MMA fans from enjoying the performance of someone Davis’ age. Davis has competed against some other big names such as Dan Hardy, Mike Swick and made his UFC debut against Forrest Petz at UFC Fight Night 6.5 back in 2006.

Before his win over Stengel, Davis had suffered back-to-back losses during brief stints in Bellator and NEF in 2013 and 2014. Before that, he had won five of his last six decisions inside the cage.

It’s unclear what is next for the veteran Davis in his MMA career, but he’s certainly increased his chances of competing into his 50s, potentially.

What are your thoughts on Marcus Davis’ MMA return?