Phil Davis had been in the spot before.
After an impressive anaconda-choke victory over Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 112 earlier this year, Davis was sure the “Submission of the Night” bonus was his, and he already was counting the money in his head.
Of course, he never got it. So even if after UFC matchmaker Joe Silva told Davis his UFC 123 win over Tim Boetsch earned him a big bonus, he wouldn’t believe it until the check was in hand.