Filed under: UFC
Phil Davis will tell you that he hears way too much about Jon Jones. Not an interview goes by when he’s not asked about Jones, and many a writer has drawn lazy comparisons about the pair. But as fighting talents go, it is easy to understand the grouping. As two of the UFC’s young guns, there is a belief in some corners that Jones and Davis will hold the top two spots in the UFC’s light-heavyweight division for the foreseeable future.
Jones held up his end of the bargain last weekend at UFC 128, capturing the light-heavyweight championship, and just one week later, Davis tries to continue his own forward momentum in his first main-event outing.
Complicating factors, Davis (8-0) is taking the UFC Fight Night 24 bout against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira on short notice. Nogueira had been scheduled to face Tito Ortiz, until Ortiz withdrew after suffering a cut in training that required stitches. Given the late call, Davis had just five weeks to prepare for the most experienced opponent he’s yet to face, and the match continues a breakneck pace for the onetime NCAA wrestling champ. It will be his fifth fight in 13 months.