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[Bigshanks666]

After UFC welterweight Marcus Davis (16-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC) saw his 11-fight win streak snapped at UFC 85, many fans were critical of the performance of "The Irish Hand Grenade."

As MMAjunkie.com (UFC blog for UFC news, UFC rumors, fighter interviews and event previews/recaps | MMAjunkie.com) previously reported, it was nearly a month after that loss to Mike Swick before Davis would comment on a severe shoulder injury that hampered his performance that evening.

"I don't like to talk a lot about injuries and stuff like that because I think they can be excuses," Davis said while a guest on a recent episode of TAGG Radio (TAGG Radio Network - Home of TAGG Radio & The Lights Out Show!), the official radio partner of MMAjunkie.com. "Because nobody fights 100 percent."

The torn connective tissue in Davis' shoulder was severe enough to require surgery after the bout. With a little less than three months remaining before a bout with undefeated British brawler Paul Kelly (7-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) at UFC 89, Davis recently elected to go back under the knife.

"I had a very similar operation done to my eyes that Nick Diaz had done," Davis explained. "I had the scar tissue removed from (around) my eyes."

Davis said the surgery was necessary due to the build-up of damage that he incurred over his lengthy MMA and professional boxing careers.

"After 77 lacerations over my eyes, I got pretty sick of being cut," Davis said. "I stopped counting stitches and starting counting how many times I actually had to have stitches over my eyes. It was 77 times over a 15-year fighting career.

"I was just constantly getting cut. I started getting cut when I was, like, 20 years old. It's been nonstop since then."

Davis gave details regarding the procedure that included more than just a simple removal of tissue.

"[The doctors] went in and removed the scar tissue and soldered down the bones around my eyes," Davis said. "And then (they) put a pledget in, the collagen pledgets in, that will bond to my skin and make it tougher, and then they sewed me back up."

Davis won't fully know until the October bout with Kelly how successful the procedure was. But the 35-year-old said if the operation went as planned, it could have a huge impact on his mindset in the cage.

"Come October, I'll see if this worked out for me," Davis said. "Hopefully the cuts that I do get will be old cuts that I've had over my nose and under my cheek and those things -- not over my eyes. Those are the ones they stop fights for.

"If I don't get cut open, and I make it through that, it's going to change my career. Because every fight that I go in to, (getting cut) is in the back of my head. I've become a little more cautious about things because of worrying about being cut."

Once Davis gets through the bout with Kelly, there are a few other opponents the Maine resident would like to face.

"I definitely would love to fight Mike Swick again," Davis said. "I want to do it in a way so that it would be an exciting fight.

"I started watching that fight to see what had happened because, when you fight, sometimes you don't remember everything. ... I watched literally maybe a round and a half, and I turned it off. It just disgusted me because it was such a boring, boring fight. That's not what I want. I don't fight to have boring fights."

While Davis said it was natural for any fighter to want to avenge a previous lost, that fight is not the one he is hoping for most.

"Chris Lytle and I want to fight each other," Davis said. "He's expressed that he wants to fight me. I've expressed that I want to fight him. We're trying to work it out so we can."

If the match-up can be made, Davis said he and Lytle plan to make the bout an instant classic.

"We like each other, we respect each other, but we want to have that fight," Davis said. "And my pitch to Chris is, 'The first guy that starts grappling is a pussy, so let's not do that. Let's just stand up and just beat the hell out of each other. If we get in a clinching scenario, and somebody wants to throw somebody or whatever, go ahead and do it. But let's not try to finish it on the ground. Let's stand up, and let's bang it out.'

"Make a gentleman's agreement like that, and give the fans another (Stephan) Bonner-Forrest Griffin fight. That's what I want. I want to have that fight."

After getting stitches 77 times, Marcus Davis discusses recent scar-tissue surgery | MMAjunkie.com

Ive been a Marcus Davis fan for some time now and I'd love to see him get back in the win column. A fight with Lytle would be fireworks, no doubt. I think hes going to beat the hell out of Paul Kelly.

[Frag x 3]

A gentleman's agreement to keep it standing is bullshit. That takes away from the mixing of martial arts. You never know how a fight may end, you never know if Chuck Liddell is going to throw a doubleleg takedown into the mix, and that's what keeps it exciting.

[Dimson]

Originally Posted by Frag x 3

A gentleman's agreement to keep it standing is bullshit. That takes away from the mixing of martial arts. You never know how a fight may end, you never know if Chuck Liddell is going to throw a doubleleg takedown into the mix, and that's what keeps it exciting.

Chuck only throws double legs when he has the win sewn up and wants to make sure he isn't going to get KTFO. I would love for them to go through with their Gentlemen's agreement btu I would not be shocked if one of them broke it. I mean this is a fight after all. You gotta do what you gotta do to win.

[Dan0]

That is a lot of cuts. Insure hope it works. It's held up for Nick so far, but Nick hasn't fought someone that hits as hard as Karl James.

[POINDEXTER]

Lytle vs Davis will be great.

[ArMnHC]

i think they'll both need to win to make that fight happen, and seriously idk if Lytle can beat Paul Taylor. Taylor is a bad ass, with great muay thai, and that seemed to break Lytle down a bit in his fight with Thiago. idk if Taylor's kicks are as hard as Thiago's, but if they stay standing it could be trouble for Lytle. Taylor also has a good chin. but i know the fight will be exciting and im torn on a winner.

Davis on the other hand is going to beat the piss out of Paul Kelly! id imagine Kelly and Davis will start the fight like Kelly and Taylor did, and when Kelly is getting his ass kicked on the feet again he'll shoot. Davis has a better ground game then most people think so Kelly wont be able to completely LnP him like he did Taylor. Davis by KO!

good for Davis getting the surgery for his scar tissue, if it works for him like it did Diaz its gunna help a lot. glad UFC 89 is free, so hopefully we get to see these fights

[Dimson]

Originally Posted by ArMnHC

i think they'll both need to win to make that fight happen, and seriously idk if Lytle can beat Paul Taylor. Taylor is a bad ass, with great muay thai, and that seemed to break Lytle down a bit in his fight with Thiago. idk if Taylor's kicks are as hard as Thiago's, but if they stay standing it could be trouble for Lytle. Taylor also has a good chin. but i know the fight will be exciting and im torn on a winner.

Davis on the other hand is going to beat the piss out of Paul Kelly! id imagine Kelly and Davis will start the fight like Kelly and Taylor did, and when Kelly is getting his ass kicked on the feet again he'll shoot. Davis has a better ground game then most people think so Kelly wont be able to completely LnP him like he did Taylor. Davis by KO!

good for Davis getting the surgery for his scar tissue, if it works for him like it did Diaz its gunna help a lot. glad UFC 89 is free, so hopefully we get to see these fights

I wish they would treat it like a fight night and guarantee a 3 hour show. Now that would be awesome.

[ArMnHC]

Originally Posted by Dimson

I wish they would treat it like a fight night and guarantee a 3 hour show. Now that would be awesome.

yeah and a 6th fight

[Problematique]

War Davis.
I see him KO/TKO'ing Kelly, good too, bloody liverpool'er :P