A clash between Top 10 light heavyweights Glover Teixeira and Phil Davis appears to be on its way to the UFC 179 main card.
Per Combate (h/t MMAJunkie.com), No. 4 Teixeira and No. 6 Davis have verbally agreed to a matchup. It is expected that the bout will be added to the October 25 event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With a featherweight championship fight between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes being the only currently confirmed contest on the card, it would appear that Teixeira and Davis might be candidates for the co-main event slot. If not, they would surely find themselves somewhere on the pay-per-view.
Teixeira last appeared at UFC 172, going the distance with 205-pound champion Jon Jones but coming up way short on the scorecards. Having lost only to Jones since joining the UFC roster, Teixeira remains one of the top fighters in the light heavyweight division. A win over Davis would help the Brazilian regain the momentum he lost with his defeat against Jones.
With a three-fight winning streak, including a victory over former champion Lyoto Machida, Davis was recently closing in on a title shot of his own. However, in his most recent outing, Mr. Wonderful was shut down by UFC returnee Anthony Johnson.
Losing to Rumble, a former welterweight, was a significant setback for Davis. However, the former NCAA wrestling champion could work his way into the Top Five with a strong showing against Teixeira.
Opposite Teixeira, Davis will likely look to utilize that wrestling background. The Brazilian has some of the heaviest hands in the light heavyweight division. So, although Davis has never been knocked out, he’s not going to want to have his chin tested in this matchup.
While he’s probably going to plan on attempting to remain standing, Teixeira is no slouch on the ground. He has a black belt in jiu-jitsu and has already recorded two submission wins inside the Octagon. That said, Davis has also never been submitted.
Can Davis avoid Teixeira’s power and shut things down on the canvas, or will the Brazilian thrive in his home country? This is an intriguing matchup that could play out in many different ways.
No matter which fighter comes out with his hand raised, this matchup could shake up the light heavyweight division’s Top Five rankings.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com