So far in 2012, Tyler “Lil Demon” Davis has followed up on his impressive campaign last year to firmly position himself as one of Canada’s rising prospects. While things are going well for the 24 year-old, Davis understands that with success comes added pressure.
Case in point, the 8-2 fighter will take on veteran featherweight Phillip Deschambeault at King of the Cage Canada’s “Genesis” card this Friday in Calgary. Not only is Davis hoping to thrill the fans in attendance, but he’s eager to continue his rise up the Canadian ranks.
“Oh this is a huge fight for me,” said Davis, who is coming off a unanimous decision win over Sean Quinn in June to extend his winning streak to six. “The pressure’s on; I have to win and I have to win impressively. I can’t grind out a boring decision in this fight, and still move up the rankings, I have to finish this guy. That’s the way this fight’s going to end; with me finishing him.”
Although Davis has had his fair share of success since he turned pro in 2009, the Arashi-Do fighter confesses there’s plenty he needs to accomplish yet.
“2013 could be a big year for me if I keep on winning,” said Davis, who is the younger brother of Mike Davis, one of Canada’s top flyweights. “I really want the 135 belt in any organization. That’s a big goal of mine; a championship belt. It’s more of a prestige thing; I would just like a belt. My brother has one and he gets to display it in his house. So I’d like one for my coffee table as well.”
Of course, the man who will be looking to derail the momentum of Davis on October 5th is Deschambeault, who has nearly the same fighting experience of the Albertan. Although the Saskatchewan fighter is coming off a loss to Teague Smith in March, prior to the defeat, Deschambeault had recorded back-to-back submission wins over Mitch Edmonds and Mike Glover.
“I think he’s kind of a gate keeper; he has a decent record and he’s fought some tough guys,” noted Davis. “I’ve watched some of his fights and it seems like he’s a striker for sure. He has pretty good hands. I feel good about fighting him; it was kind of a short notice fight but I’m ready to take on all guys.’’
“I think my experience in the cage, with a lot of top levels fighters, is going to pay off here,” Davis added. “I’m going to mess around with my striking and see where it goes from there. I’m comfortable anywhere. On the ground I’m good; I think it’s going to be a body kick though.I think it’s going to be a kick to the ribs. He’s going to go down and stay down.”
While Davis is quick to credit his training partners and coaches at Arashi-Do Red Deer for the the success he’s had to date, he also points to his full time job as a foreman on the railways as another reason.
“If you start swinging a hammer a lot you’ll find out,” said Davis, while discussing what his day job contributes to his abilities as a fighter. “We swing a lot of hammers and work with a lot of heavyweight equipment. Anything on the railway is made of steel and on the ground, so, it’s a lot of strength building, a lot of cardio building. I think I have a strength advantage over most guys in my weight class because of that.”
Although Davis will compete at “Genesis” as a featherweight, he still has his sights on the bantamweight division where he’s competed before.
“I feel like I can have a future at both weight classes,” said Davis. “I’m close to the top ten in the bantamweight division, so I plan to return there and have some fights with some top tier opponents. The 145 weight class as I get older, and the weight cut gets harder, I plan to make a home there...I’m undefeated at that weight class and I have knockout power at that weight. I like it.”
Tickets for KOTC Canada’s Genesis card, which will be hosted by Calgary’s Century Casino, can be purchased by calling 1 403 287 1183.
Davis also wanted to thank the following sponsors: Cagedeal.ca, Red Deer Kal Tires, Lucid Tattoo in Sylvan Lake, Merlin Shredding in Red Deer, and Nixon Oilfield.
Photo via Tapology.com
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