With the announcement yesterday that UFC light heavyweight Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (9-0) would be replacing champ Jon Jones at UFC 133, against Rashad Evans (15-1-1), fans have been looking for a comment from Davis concerning the great opportunity he’s been given.
Davis is a perfect 9-0 and has won all five of his octagon appearances. His last UFC bout took place a month ago when he replaced Tito Ortiz at UFC Fight Night 24, earning a unanimous decision over Antônio Rogério Nogueira in the main event of the Seattle show. Davis four previous UFC victories all occurred in 2010, submitting Tim Boetsch at UFC 123, earning a unanimous decision over Rodney Wallace at UFC 117, submitting Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 112, and defeating Brian Stann at UFC 109 by unanimous decision. With five straight wins, it’s easy to see why the UFC turned to Davis immediately as a replacement for Jones
MMAjunkie.com contacted Davis about replacing Jones and the implications for his career that a fight with Evans means.
“I was shocked; I was surprised. I was very thankful that they thought of me as the next guy to get that caliber of fight… I don’t know that this is the time frame I was looking for, but it’s a great opportunity and a great chance to further my career.”
“It’s good to have my boys around. They know how hard to push me, and they know what I expect. When it gets close to fight time, they know I don’t want any easy practices. They know I want them in the gym early and showing up every day to train – but not only for me, but for everyone to get themselves better. We’re all chasing the same dream together.”