Author: Mike Hodges

Phil Davis Believes Hard Work Will Pay Off Against Rashad Evans

Phil Davis believes that if anything positive should be rewarded out of a challenge it’s that you appreciate the hard work it took to prepare for it.The former four-time NCAA Division I wrestler will face his next challenge in Rashad Evans this we…

Phil Davis believes that if anything positive should be rewarded out of a challenge it’s that you appreciate the hard work it took to prepare for it.

The former four-time NCAA Division I wrestler will face his next challenge in Rashad Evans this weekend at UFC on FOX. Evans is widely considered to be the perennial No. 1 contender for the light heavyweight title and one of the competitors at 205 pounds.

Davis spoke to Fighters.com about the matchup and said he couldn’t be more excited to have the opportunity to compete on a larger stage at this point in his career.

“I am so excited about this fight,” Davis said. “I can not be any happier with how things are going so far. My teammates at Alliance have been a huge help in helping me prepare for Evans and what he brings to the table.”

The transition from undercard to main-event status would feel anything but a gradual process for the 27-year-old. Davis is one of the division’s highly touted prospects and has earned some credibility to his name after defeating a few formidable opponents such as Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

Most fans would agree that Davis will be meet his biggest test in Evans on Saturday night. But there are some fans who believe the 27-year-old can pull off the upset and immediately become a contender in the company’s most stacked division.

While some fans are surprised at how fast he has ascended among the 205-pound ladder, there is no one more shocked than Davis himself.

“It makes you stop and think to yourself, ‘Wow is this really my life? Is this really happening to me?’ I realize how lucky I am,” he said. “Being a wrestler I like to think we are some of the hardest workers in the sport and with hard work comes rewards.”

UFC on FOX 2 is live this Saturday night from the United Center in Chicago.

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Rashad Evans Says Phil Davis "Ain’t Ready" for Him at UFC on FOX 2

Rashad Evans’ road to the UFC light heavyweight title goes through Phil Davis at UFC on FOX 2 this weekend. Evans, who is carrying an impressive record of 16-1-1, will look to extend his winning streak in hopes of challenging former teammate Jon J…

Rashad Evans‘ road to the UFC light heavyweight title goes through Phil Davis at UFC on FOX 2 this weekend. 

Evans, who is carrying an impressive record of 16-1-1, will look to extend his winning streak in hopes of challenging former teammate Jon Jones later this year. Davis, who currently owns a respectable record of 9-0, is one of the 205-pound division’s top prospects.

While neither man has showed any disrespect toward the other prior to their main event, the intensity has certainly picked up in the last few weeks.

Evans obviously holds more experience than his opponent, but some critics have pointed to Davis’ strength and wrestling credentials as clear advantages to earn the victory. Davis does hold solid wins over some credible competition, but according to “Suga,” he has yet to face anyone of his caliber at this stage of his young career.

“He ‘ain’t ready. He ain’t ready. He knows he ain’t ready,” Evans said about Davis during UFC media call. “I looked into your eyes and you ain’t ready. You just a boy.”

The two light heavyweights were originally expected to square off at UFC 133 before Davis was forced to pull out due to a knee injury. Now both competitors will meet to determine the next title contender in the light heavyweight division.

While both Evans and Davis will approach their main event looking for something to prove, it is Evans who feels like he has the most to gain entering the bout, as the outcome of his matchup will have a impact on the future of the division.

Evans is only focused on continuing to remain successful inside the Octagon, and whether a title shot is granted or not, Evans is aware it is nearly in his reach.

“I don’t own a special spot,” he said. “It’s a privilege to be No. 1 contender, but I’m yet to fight for the belt. If the UFC has another contender to put in there, by all means, that’s what they have to do and I’ll just do what I have to do which is get another title shot.”

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Nick Diaz: Carlos Condit Is ‘Better Than Georges St-Pierre’

There are times when Nick Diaz feels like he doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a mixed martial artist.While his actions are often misunderstood, Diaz remains as one of the top fighters at 170 pounds and he’ll have his chance to be fully accepted wh…

There are times when Nick Diaz feels like he doesn’t get the credit he deserves as a mixed martial artist.

While his actions are often misunderstood, Diaz remains as one of the top fighters at 170 pounds and he’ll have his chance to be fully accepted when he meets Carlos Condit in the main event at UFC 143. Both men will meet to determine the UFC interim welterweight champion while current champion Georges St-Pierre recovers from a knee injury.

Although he didn’t get the matchup he hoped for originally, Diaz feels Condit provides more of a challenge than the champion does.

“He’s winning his fights, he looks good. He’s beat everybody, he fights better than everybody,” Diaz said during a pre-fight interview on UFC.com. “In my eyes, he’s better than Georges St-Pierre.”

The winner is slated to meet St-Pierre in a title unification bout later this year, in which Diaz envisions himself taking part of.

The former Strikeforce welterweight champion holds victories over some the division’s top competitors, including Paul Daley and B.J. Penn, and he could potentially solidify his pound-for-pound status with a victory over Condit, a spot he feels he rightfully deserves.

“I think I’m the most well-rounded fighter in the world,” he said. “I deserve a spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. And that’s what I’m fighting for…This is my lifestyle, this is what I do. I’m going to be ready to fight Carlos Condit.”

UFC 143 is scheduled for Feb. 4, live from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

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Anderson Silva: I Don’t See Anyone in Brazil That Can Beat Jon Jones

While every fighter seems to have found a potential weakness in their opponent, Jon Jones has looked flawless and has outclassed each opponent thus far.His recent dominance has left many fans in awe and shock. As a result, it is presumed he will remain…

While every fighter seems to have found a potential weakness in their opponent, Jon Jones has looked flawless and has outclassed each opponent thus far.

His recent dominance has left many fans in awe and shock. As a result, it is presumed he will remain UFC light heavyweight champion for the foreseeable future.

Even UFC middleweight champion and current pound-for-pound kingpin, Anderson Silva, believes there will be no shortage of stopping the 24-year-old anytime soon.

“Jon Jones is having a good phase, he’s improving a lot. He’s getting more and more experienced,” Silva told Portal TV. “He’s making his opponents fall into his game. He knows how to use his size very well.”

Jones’ style and ability is so unprecedented, his victories has come against some of the division’s elite fighters and he only continues to improve.

Some of the 205 pound division’s best fighters reside from Brazil and Silva said Brazilians do not approach a fight with the same mentality as their American counterparts, like Jones. “The Spider” said until Brazilians enter a bout with more strategy, it is highly unlikely Jones will be dethroned anytime soon.

“I don’t see any Brazilian in conditions to face him, even more so because Brazilians don’t tend to completely study what happens in there, there needs to be more studying done by the Brazilians in that division so that they can understand what really is going on in there,” he said.

“I don’t see anyone in Brazil that can beat him, at least not for now.”

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Dana White: Georges St-Pierre to Return This Summer, "Praying" to Face Nick Diaz

UFC President Dana White expects the winner of Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit to meet Georges St-Pierre much sooner than he had originally expected.During a post-fight interview after UFC on FX 1, White said the UFC welterweight champion has made a succes…

UFC President Dana White expects the winner of Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit to meet Georges St-Pierre much sooner than he had originally expected.

During a post-fight interview after UFC on FX 1, White said the UFC welterweight champion has made a successful recovery following his knee surgery and is already preparing to make a return later this year.

“GSP’s rehab could not be going better,” White said. “He was texting me pictures of him kicking, doing everything. I think he’s going to be back sooner than doctors anticipated.”

St-Pierre has never called out any opponents in the past, nor has he requested any specific opponents either, but White made it clear that the champion is preparing to meet Diaz following UFC 143.

It’s a side of the French-Canadian that neither fans nor White are used to seeing.

“He says, ‘I am praying every night when I go to bed that Nick Diaz wins this fight,'” White said. “I’ve never seen him so motivated to fight somebody and to beat somebody like Nick Diaz. He hates Nick Diaz.”

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Chael Sonnen: "Michael Bisping Hasn’t Beaten Anybody That’s Any Good"

The winner of the upcoming bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping on UFC on FOX 2 will produce the next challenger for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.However, Sonnen doesn’t believe that challenger will be Bisping, who was recently pro…

The winner of the upcoming bout between Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping on UFC on FOX 2 will produce the next challenger for UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva.

However, Sonnen doesn’t believe that challenger will be Bisping, who was recently promoted to face Sonnen after learning of Mark Munoz’s injury.

The British slugger has become one of the most popular stars to come out of the United Kingdom after winning the third season of The Ultimate Fighter. Since then, Bisping has quietly moved up the rankings with little or no attention, despite earning wins over Chris Leben, Yoshihiro Akiyama and Jason Miller.

Sonnen looks at his new opponent no differently than anyone else; however with Bisping, he doesn’t think he is a very good fighter but he respects his ability to win.

“He certainly hasn’t beaten anybody that’s any good, rankings-wise, but Bisping, you can’t take from him, because he wins,” Sonnen told MMAFighting.com. “That’s undeniable…I’m not a naysayer on Bisping. I’m a supporter, and if he got a shot (at the title), I’d tune in to watch.”

Since his loss to Silva nearly a year ago, Sonnen has done everything in his power to evoke a rematch against the Brazilian. While a win over Bisping will likely setup an anticipated title bout between Sonnen and Silva, the Portland, Oregon, native doesn’t see it happening. 

After making multiple attempts at a rematch, Sonnen doesn’t think Silva will accept a bout with him or any other UFC fighter for that matter. 

“I’ve got nothing against competing with Anderson, but he does. He’s been offered the fight four times and he’s turned it down four times,” he said. “I don’t believe he’s going to fight Bisping; I don’t believe he’s going to fight again. That’s my personal opinion.”

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