Tag: Phil Davis

Phil Davis: I Don’t Want Fans to Think I’m Another Lay-and-Pray Fighter

Filed under: UFCBecoming an NCAA wrestling champ and four-time All-American at Penn State prepared Phil Davis (7-0) well for a career in mixed martial arts, but there is one thing that surprised him when he went from the wrestling mats to the cage.

“W…

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Becoming an NCAA wrestling champ and four-time All-American at Penn State prepared Phil Davis (7-0) well for a career in mixed martial arts, but there is one thing that surprised him when he went from the wrestling mats to the cage.

“When you’re at home watching the UFC and you see a guy get elbowed in the face, you think, Oooh, that poor guy, he just got elbowed in the face,” Davis told MMA Fighting. “But I’m here to tell you, that hurts your elbow. You don’t think it would, but it hurts your elbow. When you calm down, stop sweating, get your shower and change, you will think, Man, my elbow really hurts. I’m telling you. It’s surprising.”

In his two years as a pro, the undefeated Davis has had plenty of experience with being the one who delivers those elbows.

Being on the receiving end is still something he’s mostly unfamiliar with during his time in the cage, which might help explain his answer when you ask if he ever stops to consider what his opponents’ faces must feel like when he’s busy icing his elbow.

Phil Davis Says Elbowing People in the Face Can Really Hurt Your Elbow

(You’re gonna want to put some ice on that, Phil. Props: UFC.com)
We can forgive Phil Davis a moment of hubris. At 7-0, dude hasn’t encountered a ton of adversity so far in his fighting career, so when somebody asks him what surprised him t…


(You’re gonna want to put some ice on that, Phil. Props: UFC.com)

We can forgive Phil Davis a moment of hubris. At 7-0, dude hasn’t encountered a ton of adversity so far in his fighting career, so when somebody asks him what surprised him the most about transitioning from amateur wrestling to MMA it’s actually sort of cute that his response is essentially: “Man, beating people up? That shit hurts.”

Davis breaks it down for our man Ben Fowlkes over at MMA Fighting thusly:

"When you’re at home watching the UFC and you see a guy get elbowed in the face, you think, Oooh, that poor guy, he just got elbowed in the face," Davis says. "But I’m here to tell you, that hurts your elbow. You don’t think it would, but it hurts your elbow. When you calm down, stop sweating, get your shower and change, you will think, Man, my elbow really hurts. I’m telling you. It’s surprising."

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State of the UFC Light Heavyweights

Filed under: UFCNovember is a month without any title fights, which makes it a good time to take a long view of the future title picture in each weight class. Today we look at the light heavyweight division.

The light heavyweight division is both the …

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November is a month without any title fights, which makes it a good time to take a long view of the future title picture in each weight class. Today we look at the light heavyweight division.

The light heavyweight division is both the UFC’s most talented weight class and — right now anyway — its most frustrating. There are so many good fights that can be made, but the championship belt is tied up because the champion, Shogun Rua, is recovering from knee surgery.

It’s been almost a year and a half since anyone other than Shogun and Lyoto Machida has fought for the light heavyweight title, and it’ll probably be another six months or so until we see Shogun defend his title again. So as we look at the light heavyweight division, we’re looking at a division with a wealth of contenders but a shortage of title fights.

Where Is MMA’s Next Great Middleweight?

Filed under: UFC, Strikeforce, BellatorFor all his pre-fight bluster, Chael Sonnen walked into the octagon as a major underdog against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, with most expecting him to emerge chastened and quieted, however briefly. Y…

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Anderson Silva kicks Chael Sonnen in the main event of UFC 117.For all his pre-fight bluster, Chael Sonnen walked into the octagon as a major underdog against UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva, with most expecting him to emerge chastened and quieted, however briefly. Yet for about 23 minutes, Sonnen did just what he said he would, dominating Silva as he seemingly coasted towards his moment of glory. It was not to be. In a comeback that will live on in MMA lore for years to come, Silva found a way to steal a win from Sonnen’s back pocket, trapping him with a fight-ending triangle/armbar submission.

Even in losing, though, Sonnen did something of immeasurable value to the UFC: he stayed a viable contender. Beyond the UFC’s long-reigning champion, a look at the 185-pound class worldwide shows a wide-open field. More specifically, most of the world’s top 10 middleweights are over 30 years old. While opportunities abound, though, few young 185-pound prospects have distinguished themselves.

Most weight classes have their exciting, young prodigies. Featherweight has Jose Aldo, welterweight has John Hathaway, and light-heavyweight has Jon Jones, among others. So where, we must ask, is the next great, young middleweight?

UFC 117 Undercard Blog: Hazelett vs. Story, Davis vs. Wallace, More

Filed under: UFCThis is the UFC 117 live blog for all five of the undercard bouts of UFC 117 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

A noteworthy bout on the undercard is submission wizard Dustin Hazelett facing prospect Rick Story at 170 pounds. Sin…

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Hazelett vs. Story is one of the undercard fights at UFC 117.This is the UFC 117 live blog for all five of the undercard bouts of UFC 117 from the Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif.

A noteworthy bout on the undercard is submission wizard Dustin Hazelett facing prospect Rick Story at 170 pounds. Since losing to John Hathaway in his UFC debut, Story has reeled off three consecutive wins. Hazelett is coming off a loss to Paul Daley in January.

The live blog is below.

UFC 117: Six Sub-Plots to Watch For

Filed under: UFCIf your interest in Saturday night’s UFC 117 doesn’t go past the middleweight title matchup between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva, I suggest you either stop right here, because that’s the last mention of them in this story, or invest …

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If your interest in Saturday night’s UFC 117 doesn’t go past the middleweight title matchup between Chael Sonnen and Anderson Silva, I suggest you either stop right here, because that’s the last mention of them in this story, or invest yourself further into the card by taking a look at other interesting possibilities.

We present a look at the top six sub-plots of UFC 117, from the forgotten to the ignored to the storylines that might emerge by the time the night wraps up. And what does Jake Shields have to do with any of this anyway?