Moses Lake man of many titles

by Candice Boutilier<br>Herald Staff Writer
| October 16, 2006 9:00 PM

Inside or outside the ring, there is a lot of strength behind him

MOSES LAKE — Dustin Davis, 25, has many titles. Ultimate fighter, father, husband, Marine and friend are just a few.

Davis grew up in Moses Lake. He graduated from Moses Lake High School in 1999. For a long time he told people he was going to join the United States Marine Corp, he said. But after high school he decided to head out to Alaska and do some fishing for a year and a half.

"I told people I was gonna go (join the Marines)," he said. "I ran into a guy I told a year and a half previous , he made a statement that changed everything."

The man Davis talked with questioned him as to why he had not joined the Marines yet and how he was going to be a fisherman for the rest of his life. The conversation didn't set well with him.

Davis turned his talk into action.

"A week later I got on a plane to San Diego," Davis said.

He spent four years in the Marines, 10 months of that time he was stationed in Iraq.

He recalls his time spent there as unforgettable and worth it. He is glad to have joined and he learned a lot, Davis added.

"We did a lot of hand-to-hand combat," he said.

He took the skill and transferred it to the ring.

"I've always liked to fight," Davis said. "Nothing wrong with some romps in the morning."

Davis also participates in "smokers." He describes them as organized backyard fights.

"There's a ring and no real set rules," he said.

It is over when one of the fighters can't go on or if someone gets knocked out, he added.

He also engages in cage fighting, often referred to as "the octagon."

It is similar to the Ultimate Fighting Championships, he said. The ring is literally shaped like an octagon and has caged walls. A lot of pride goes into those fights, he added.

Les Tuck, 25, has seen Davis fight and has a lot of respect for him as a friend too.

"He can go up to anybody and talk about anything," Tuck said.

He has got a lot of personality and is very personal, he added.

In his most recent fighting match at the Grant County Fairgrounds Sept. 23, he was defeated by a matter of points.

"You can always sharpen your skills," Davis said.

He spends two to three hours a day, six days a week working out. He does this in addition to twelve hour construction days and raising a family.

He says his biggest achievement is his wife Kathryn. He admires her commitment to him. The two met in high school. He has been married to Kathryn for three years and together they raise his 6-year-old step son, Aiden.

"Right now, I'm just enjoying myself," he said.