(Uh-oh.)

Yeah, that’s Marcus Davis on Twitter, publicly stating that he hopes Dan Hardy dies of AIDS.  And yes, it does appear to be his official Twitter account and not a fake.  He has over 10,000 followers, links to his official website, mentions biographically correct information about himself from time to time, misspells a few words but not so many that it could be an attempt at humor, and for the most part remains just as tedious as most MMA fighters on Twitter.  In other words, if it’s a fake the guy has been playing it really cool up until now.  If that was all a ruse just to make this one AIDS comment and blow his cover, we’re going to have to say that he just wasted a lot of time.

The comment was made in response to a fan (BIGfield948, who we assume is still pissed that Bigfield69 was taken) after he expressed a desire to see Davis/Hardy II in the U.K.  The missive you see above is Davis’s response, so it’s not as if this was taken somehow out of context.  The question is, if we accept that this is really Marcus Davis and he really did say that he hopes Hardy dies of AIDS, what conclusions can we jump to in an irresponsible, reactionary fashion?

1. Davis’s understanding of AIDS is stuck in 1993
Look "Irish Hand Grenade," AIDS is no longer the death sentence it used to be (unless you’re poor. Or you live in Africa, in which case you are poor).  If you are a somewhat rich, somewhat high-profile athlete like Hardy, there’s plenty of reason to be optimistic.  Granted, Hardy isn’t Magic Johnson, so he probably wouldn’t live with the disease indefinitely, but it’s not unrealistic to think he could make it another twenty years, which is more than enough time to write a reflective memoir and still live to see it become a movie.  Though in fairness, Davis didn’t specify when he wanted Hardy to die of AIDS.  Maybe he’d be okay with Hardy dying after a protracted, but inspiring battle.

2. Davis either didn’t hear about, or got the completely wrong message from the Frank Mir controversy
If UFC fighters learned anything by checking their employer’s website last week, it’s that threatening to kill another UFC employee is frowned upon by management.  Since Davis is internet-savvy enough to have a Twitter account, we’re guessing he heard about that little dust-up.  Is it possible then that he decided this would be a good way to get his name back in the news?  Only if he seriously overestimates his value to the UFC right now.  Mir they have to hold on to no matter what, at least for a few more months.  Davis is far more expendable.

3. Davis has given up all hope that he might actually beat Hardy in an MMA bout
It used to be that when Davis talked about his British foe, it was always the same line about how he feels he deserved that decision and can’t wait for another chance to smash his face in.  But after he got KO’d by Ben Saunders while Hardy earned himself a title shot, it’s possible that reality has since set in and Davis now realizes that a deadly STD is his only hope for revenge. 

That’s some sad stuff, right there.  It’s one thing to wish herpes on someone.  We’ve all been there.  AIDS, though?  Not even HIV, but full-blown AIDS?  That comment was made by a man who is hurting bad on the inside.  That’s why we offer not our scorn, but merely our pity.