Alexis Davis, 22, of Port Colborne, displays the trophy she won at the War Zone 2007 mixed martial arts championships in Edmonton.
Port fighter wins mixed martial arts title; jiu jitsu purple belt pins kickboxing standout to win referee’s stoppage
BERND FRANKE / Tribune Staff
Sports - Friday, May 11, 2007 @ 09:00
There’s a slogan on a wall at Dayboll Jiu Jitsu & Fitness Academy that is be hard to miss by anyone who steps inside the martial arts studio on Catherine Street in Port Colborne.
“A black belt is a white belt that never quit” are the words, and they have become a call to action that Alexis Davis has taken to heart and lives by.
Not being satisfied on the training mat until she does things right is the “sense of purpose” that has motivated her to earn a purple belt in Gracie jiu jitsu, a Brazilian version of the martial art.
Now only the red and brown levels stand between this former white belt and the ultimate prize.
Last weekend in Edmonton, there was little standing between Davis and a mixed martial arts (MMA) championship at War Zone 2007. Her lone opponent - Jody Wadsworth of the host club - proved to be no match for the the 22-year-old Port Colborne native.
hough more experienced with a reputation as a standout kickboxer, Wadsworth didn’t have a ready answer to Davis’ superior skill in jiu jitsu.
“Once I had her on the mat, I knew I had her,” recalled Davis who brought Wadsworth down with a a kickboxing move. “In mixed martial arts, I like to strike first. I want to be the aggressor.”
Fully prepared to go the distance, just as she had in her first mixed martial arts bout last month in Winnipeg, Davis was declared the winner only 3:16 into the five-minute opening round in the scheduled three-rounder. The referee stopped the fight when it was determined that Wadsworth was in no position to defend herself.
Once Davis sat on Wadworth’s stomach, pinning her opponent’s hips to the mat, she began landing blows with four-ounce gloves covering her hands. By this point, Wadsworth was rendered totally defenceless with no hope of getting the upper hand.
“Once I was on top, I had more of an advantage because I knew what was going on. I basically knew what her strong points were,” said Davis, who did a little scouting on the web to find out something about Wadsworth’s fighting style.
While jiu jitsu ultimately won the day for Davis, the roots of her first MMA victory also stretch back to her debut bout in Winnipeg. As she looks backs now, she regards that loss as an invaluable learning experience.
Not only did it get the “first fight jitters” out of her system, it also helped prepare her for what was to take place last weekend in Edmonton.
“Sometimes, the best way to learn something is to lose.”
Mixed martial arts, which is becoming increasingly popular, is “free-form” fighting that borrows from a full range of disciplines, such as kartate, kick boxing, jiu jitsu and judo.
“Basically, anything goes.”
Davis is a part-time instructor at Dayboll Jiu Jitsu when she isn’t working for a textbook book publisher in Niagara Falls.
“That’s my desk job, but I feel more at home here,” she said yesterday as she surveyed the studio while standing before a slogan that has became her martial arts mantra.
Davis trains regularly - “In fact, training is what I love best about this sport.” - and she said she doesn’t feel satisfied until she leaves everything on the floor.
“When I fight, I compete a lot against myself. If I’m not doing things right, then I want to train until I get them right,” said Davis, unafraid to let her actions speak as loudly as those words on that wall.
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This is sweet, we need more women’s MMA and coverage for the sport to continue growing.