UFC 179 was a solid showing for Phil Davis—a night for him to remind the world that he’s actually pretty good at this MMA thing. He kept Glover Teixeira guessing for their entire bout, holding his own on the feet and dominating the action on the ground.
While many were eulogizing his career only a few short months ago, Davis is now right back in the mix of contention and will be looking to climb the ladder that much more in his next bout.
Here are three suggestions for who he should see across the cage.
Both men were once hot prospects as wrestlers who were riding raw athleticism to the highest peaks of the UFC. Both were set back at various points and in various ways, and now they’ve each settled into a role on the fringe of the divisional elite.
If they meet up, the winner would become a contender, while the loser would become a forgotten entity in the Top 10, once and for all.
It’s a pretty intriguing bout with interesting stakes.
Ovince Saint Preux
Saint Preux is a freak athlete on the level of Davis. Even though he’s coming off a loss, there’s a lot to like in matching up the two. Saint Preux is still something of an unknown commodity in the Top 10, while Davis has never fought a man of such sheer power and athletic pedigree.
At this stage in the game, with so many cards and so few options available for a man at the level of Davis in the light heavyweight division, this one could take place as an appealing bout built on circumstance.
Winner of Shogun Rua vs. Jimi Manuwa
Regardless of who comes out on top in the bout between Rua and Manuwa, he’ll get a bump in the rankings and lay claim to another elite opponent.
Davis, fresh off his impressive defeat of Teixeira and with limited options, could be that opponent. The schedules line up, and all parties involved have similar stakes in the title hunt, so there could be something to like there for fans and the UFC.
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