Phil Davis (fighter)

Last updated

Phil Davis
UFC fighter visits Freedom Crossing 121116-A-UK859-003 (cropped).jpg
BornPhil Kwabina Davis [1]
(1984-09-25) September 25, 1984 (age 39)
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other namesMr. Wonderful
Height6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division Light Heavyweight
Reach79 in (201 cm) [2]
StyleWrestling
Stance Orthodox
Fighting out of Chula Vista, California, U.S.
TeamLionHeart MMA (2008–2009) [3] [4]
Alliance MMA (2009–present) [4]
RankPurple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Richie Martinez [5]
Wrestling NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active2008–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total32
Wins24
By knockout6
By submission5
By decision13
Losses7
By decision7
No contests1
Other information
University Penn State University
Notable school(s) Harrisburg High School
Website http://www.philmrwonderful.com/
Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog
Medal record
Collegiate Wrestling
Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions
NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2008 St. Louis197 lb
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2006 Oklahoma City 197 lb
Big Ten Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2006 Bloomington197 lb
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg2008 Park Ridge197 lb

Phil Kwabina Davis [1] (born September 25, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist who currently competes as a Light Heavyweight for Bellator MMA, where he is the former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Davis competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where he achieved success as a top 5 Light Heavyweight contender and held a UFC record of 9–3 (1). He is currently ranked as the #7 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by ranking site Fight Matrix. [6] Davis first gained athletic notoriety in college as a wrestler for Penn State University, where he became an NCAA Division I champion in 2008. As of October 19, 2021, #2 in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Rankings. [7]

Contents

Background

Davis was born and raised in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with his two older brothers, Jeffery and John. He began wrestling when he was in the seventh grade [8] and then attended Harrisburg High School where he was a four-year team captain and letterman, with a 112–17 career record. Davis also lettered in tennis and cross-country running. He then went on to wrestle for the Penn State Nittany Lions wrestling team, finishing in 5th place nationally in the 197 lb weight class as a junior in 2007 [9] and then winning the (197 lbs) NCAA title in 2008. He finished with an overall wrestling record of 116–20 while at Penn State and was a four-time NCAA Division I All-American. [10] After graduating from Penn State, he began training with the newly formed LionHeart MMA team in State College, Pennsylvania. [11]

Mixed martial arts career

Davis' primary training partners were Paul Bradley, Lou Armezzani and Jimy Hettes. He also trained with many visiting fighters such as Dave Herman, Shanon Slack, Dominick Cruz, Jon Jones and Cain Velasquez. When the LionHeart team disbanded in 2009, Davis moved to San Diego, California, to continue his training with Alliance MMA. [4] Davis earned his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Lloyd Irvin in 2009.[ citation needed ] In 2009 he won the No Gi Grappling World Jiu-Jitsu Championship as a blue belt in the 221 lbs, Super Heavyweight division. [12] Davis began his professional mixed martial arts career in 2008, compiling a record of 4–0 in regional promotions across the United States.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Davis signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship in December 2009. [13]

First contender run

Davis made his UFC debut against Brian Stann on February 6, 2010, at UFC 109, [14] winning by unanimous decision.

Davis faced Alexander Gustafsson on April 10, 2010, at UFC 112. [15] Davis defeated Gustafsson via submission (anaconda choke) in the first round, giving Gustafsson his first loss.

Davis next faced Rodney Wallace on August 7, 2010, at UFC 117, replacing the injured Stanislav Nedkov. [16] [17] Davis controlled the bout with his wrestling and won by unanimous decision.

Davis fought Tim Boetsch on November 20, 2010, at UFC 123. [18] He won by a one-handed modified kimura submission later dubbed the "Mr. Wonderful." He was awarded $80,000 for Submission of the Night and received the Submission of the Year award from MMANews247.com. [19]

Davis was expected to face Matt Hamill in Toronto at UFC 129. [20] However, Hamill was tapped as a replacement for Thiago Silva against Rampage Jackson at UFC 130. Davis was offered a fight against Jason Brilz, [21] but then he replaced the injured Tito Ortiz on 6 weeks' notice against Antônio Rogério Nogueira in his first UFC main event on March 26, 2011, at UFC Fight Night 24. [22] Davis defeated Nogueira by unanimous decision.

When UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones pulled out of a long-awaited title fight for Rashad Evans, Phil Davis agreed to fight Evans on August 6, 2011, at UFC 133, [23] but on July 12, Davis pulled out of the event with a knee injury and was replaced by Tito Ortiz. [24] Davis was announced to face Lyoto Machida on December 10, 2011, at UFC 140, however, shortly after, it was revealed that Davis was still recovering from a knee injury and the fight did not occur. [25]

Davis faced former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans in a number one contender fight on January 28, 2012, at UFC on Fox 2. [26] Despite Davis' substantial wrestling credentials, Evans dominated him on the canvas, coasting to a unanimous decision.

Second contender run

Davis was expected to face Chad Griggs on August 4, 2012, at UFC on FOX 4. [27] However, Griggs was forced out of the bout with an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Wagner Prado. [28] The fight was ruled "No Contest" after an accidental eye poke at 1:28 of round 1 rendered Prado unable to continue. A rematch with Prado, briefly linked to UFC on FX 5, took place on October 13, 2012, at UFC 153. [29] Davis won the rematch with a second round anaconda choke submission.

Davis was expected to face Forrest Griffin on December 29, 2012, at UFC 155. [30] However, in early December, Griffin pulled out of the bout, citing a knee injury. [31] Davis faced Vinny Magalhães in a wrestler vs. BJJ specialist fight on April 27, 2013, at UFC 159. [32] He won the fight by unanimous decision.

On August 3, 2013, at UFC 163, Davis won a controversial unanimous decision against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida. [33] Davis' only significant advantage was ground and pound following take-downs in the last minute of rounds one and two. While ESPN scored the fight for Davis, [34] 13 selected UFC affiliate media outlets scored the fight in favor of Machida. [35] An SP Nation fanpost stated, "Some MMA commentators and bloggers scored the fight 30–27 for Lyoto Machida." [36] UFC president Dana White tweeted shortly after the fight that he had Machida winning all three rounds, [37] and later told Yahoo! Sports "Machida definitely won", "MMA judging sucks", and his oft-repeated advice: "Never leave it in the hands of the judges." [38] Machida left the light heavyweight division and went on to fight for the UFC Middleweight Championship.

With an official win over the highly ranked Machida, Davis looked to move into title contention against Anthony "Rumble" Johnson who returned to the UFC [39] riding a six-fight win streak at light heavyweight (including one heavyweight fight) outside the promotion, following his disastrous and much-criticised previous UFC run at welterweight. Despite Davis being a considerable betting favorite, on April 26, 2014, in the co-main event at UFC 172, Johnson shut down Davis' wrestling game and kept the fight standing, where his pronounced edge in the striking won him all three rounds in a unanimous decision.

Leading up to the UFC 172 event, Davis actively baited UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones on a media promotion conference call. [40] Later, he disparaged Jones' achievements against undersized competition, claiming "against actual light heavyweights, he's been so-so". He predicted that he would soon claim the title, while explicitly dismissing the challenge of his own booked opponent Anthony Johnson. [41] Jones, who defended the UFC Light Heavyweight title against Glover Teixeira at the same event, took pleasure in mocking Davis' loss at the post-fight press conference, [42] and later on-line. [43]

Final UFC fights

After UFC 172, Davis faced Glover Teixeira who was coming off a loss to UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones on the same card. The fight took place October 25, 2014, at UFC 179. [44] He utilized his wrestling advantage and won the fight by unanimous decision. [45]

Having just one fight left of his UFC contract, Davis faced Ryan Bader on January 24, 2015, at UFC on Fox 14. [46] He lost the fight by a close split decision. He did not re-sign with the UFC. Davis finished his UFC career with a record of 9–3 (1) within the promotion.

Bellator MMA

Following his final fight in the UFC, Davis parted from the organization and signed with Bellator MMA on April 15, 2015. [47]

Road to the title

Davis made his debut as a participant in Bellator's one-night Light Heavyweight tournament at Bellator MMA & Glory: Dynamite 1 on September 19, 2015. [48] He faced Emanuel Newton in the opening round [49] and won by submission due to a kimura. [50] He was scheduled to face Muhammed Lawal in the final. [51] However, Lawal was unable to advance to the finals due to a rib injury and was replaced by alternate Francis Carmont. [52] Davis won the bout via knockout in the first round. [53] [54]

By winning the tournament, Davis was set up to face Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary at a yet-to-be-determined event. [55] However, on February 19, 2016, it was announced that Davis next opponent would be Muhammed Lawal in a no 1 contender fight on May 14, 2016, at Bellator 154. [56] He won the fight by unanimous decision. [57]

Davis faced Liam McGeary for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship in the main event at Bellator 163 on November 4, 2016. [58] He won the bout via unanimous decision to become the new Bellator Light Heavyweight champion.

Title and post-title reign

Davis faced his former opponent Ryan Bader again in a title fight on June 24, 2017, at Bellator 180. [59] Bader and Davis first met at UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson on January 24, 2015, with Bader winning by split decision. [60] He was defeated again via split decision, thus losing the Bellator title. [61]

Davis faced undefeated Brazilian fighter Leo Leite on November 3, 2017, at Bellator 186. [62] He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Davis faced Linton Vassell on May 25, 2018, at Bellator 200. [63] He won the fight via knock out due to a head kick in round three. [64]

Davis faced Vadim Nemkov on November 15, 2018, Bellator 209. [65] He lost the fight via split decision. [66]

Davis next faced Liam McGeary at Bellator 220 on April 27, 2019. [67] He won the fight via TKO in the third round.

On August 15, 2019, it was announced that Davis had signed an exclusive multi-fight, multi-year contract extension with Bellator. [68] In his first fight on that contract, Davis faced Karl Albrektsson at Bellator 231 on October 25, 2019. [69] He won the fight via TKO in the third round.

Davis headlined Bellator 245 in a rematch against Lyoto Machida on September 11, 2020. [70] He won the fight by split decision.

Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix

On February 9, 2021, it was announced that Davis would be participating in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Tournament. Davis is scheduled to face Vadim Nemkov for the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship in the quarterfinal round. This will be a rematch of their November 2018 bout, which saw Nemkov win via split decision. The bout took place at Bellator 257 on April 16. [71] Davis lost the bout via unanimous decision, with Nemkov controlling the first three rounds on the feet. [72]

Post Grand Prix

Davis faced Yoel Romero, who was making his Bellator debut, on September 18, 2021, at Bellator 266. [73] He won the bout via split decision. [74] Five out of five media outlets scored the fight for Davis. [75]

Davis faced Julius Anglickas on March 12, 2022, at Bellator 276. [76] He won the bout via unanimous decision. [77]

Davis faced Corey Anderson on June 16, 2023, at Bellator 297. [78] He lost the fight via split decision. [79]

Professional grappling career

Davis will compete at EBI 21: The Absolutes on June 2, 2024. [80]

Championships and achievements

Collegiate wrestling

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

Professional record breakdown
32 matches24 wins7 losses
By knockout60
By submission50
By decision137
No contests1
Res.RecordOpponentMethodEventDateRoundTimeLocationNotes
Loss24–7 (1) Corey Anderson Decision (split) Bellator 297 June 16, 202335:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States
Win24–6 (1) Julius Anglickas Decision (unanimous) Bellator 276 March 12, 202235:00 St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Win23–6 (1) Yoel Romero Decision (split) Bellator 266 September 18, 202135:00 San Jose, California, United States
Loss22–6 (1) Vadim Nemkov Decision (unanimous) Bellator 257 April 16, 202155:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix Quarterfinal. For the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship.
Win22–5 (1) Lyoto Machida Decision (split) Bellator 245 September 11, 202035:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win21–5 (1) Karl Albrektsson TKO (punches) Bellator 231 October 25, 201933:06 Uncasville, Connecticut, United States
Win20–5 (1) Liam McGeary TKO (jaw injury) Bellator 220 April 27, 201934:11 San Jose, California, United States
Loss19–5 (1) Vadim Nemkov Decision (split) Bellator 209 November 15, 201835:00 Tel Aviv, Israel
Win19–4 (1) Linton Vassell KO (head kick) Bellator 200 May 25, 201831:05 London, England
Win18–4 (1) Leonardo Leite Decision (unanimous) Bellator 186 November 3, 201735:00 University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
Loss17–4 (1) Ryan Bader Decision (split) Bellator 180 June 24, 201755:00 New York City, New York, United StatesLost the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship.
Win17–3 (1) Liam McGeary Decision (unanimous) Bellator 163 November 4, 201655:00 Uncasville, Connecticut, United StatesWon the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship.
Win16–3 (1) Muhammed Lawal Decision (unanimous) Bellator 154 May 14, 201635:00 San Jose, California, United States Bellator Light Heavyweight world title eliminator.
Win15–3 (1) Francis Carmont KO (punches) Bellator 142: Dynamite 1 September 19, 201512:15 San Jose, California, United StatesWon the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix.
Win14–3 (1) Emanuel Newton Submission (kimura)14:39Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Semifinal.
Loss13–3 (1) Ryan Bader Decision (split) UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson January 24, 201535:00 Stockholm, Sweden
Win13–2 (1) Glover Teixeira Decision (unanimous) UFC 179 October 25, 201435:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Loss12–2 (1) Anthony Johnson Decision (unanimous) UFC 172 April 26, 201435:00 Baltimore, Maryland, United States UFC Light Heavyweight title eliminator.
Win12–1 (1) Lyoto Machida Decision (unanimous) UFC 163 August 3, 201335:00 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Win11–1 (1) Vinny Magalhães Decision (unanimous) UFC 159 April 27, 201335:00 Newark, New Jersey, United States
Win10–1 (1) Wagner Prado Submission (anaconda choke) UFC 153 October 13, 201224:29 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
NC9–1 (1) Wagner Prado NC (accidental eye poke) UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera August 4, 201211:28 Los Angeles, California, United StatesAccidental eye poke rendered Prado unable to continue.
Loss9–1 Rashad Evans Decision (unanimous) UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis January 28, 201255:00 Chicago, Illinois, United States UFC Light Heavyweight title eliminator.
Win9–0 Antônio Rogério Nogueira Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis March 26, 201135:00 Seattle, Washington, United States
Win8–0 Tim Boetsch Submission (modified kimura) UFC 123 November 20, 201022:55 Auburn Hills, Michigan, United StatesSubmission of the Night.
Win7–0 Rodney Wallace Decision (unanimous) UFC 117 August 7, 201035:00 Oakland, California, United States
Win6–0 Alexander Gustafsson Submission (anaconda choke) UFC 112 April 10, 201014:55 Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Win5–0 Brian Stann Decision (unanimous) UFC 109 February 6, 201035:00 Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Win4–0David BaggettSubmission (rear-naked choke)Ultimate Cage FC 1June 27, 200913:37 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States
Win3–0Terry CohensTKO (punches)Ultimate Warrior Challenge 6April 25, 200914:29 Fairfax, Virginia, United States
Win2–0Josh GreenTKO (punches) PFC 12: High Stakes January 22, 200911:49 Lemoore, California, United States
Win1–0Brett ChismDecision (unanimous)No Boundary 1October 11, 200825:00 Plymouth, Massachusetts, United States

[87]

NCAA record

NCAA Championships Matches
Res.RecordOpponentScoreDateEvent
2008 NCAA Championships Gold medal icon.svg at 197 lbs
Win15–5Wynn Michalak7–2March 22, 2008 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win14–5Dallas Herbst6–0
Win13–5 Hudson Taylor 7–3
Win12–5Logan Brown9–2
Win11–5Riley OrozcoFall
2007 NCAA Championships 5th at 197 lbs
Loss10–5 J.D Bergman 4–5March 16, 2007 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Loss10–4Kurt Backes4–5
Win10–3Jerry Rinaldi6–3
Win9–3Travis GardnerFall
Win8–3Ryan Goodman9–3
2006 NCAA Championships Silver medal icon.svg at 197 lbs
Loss7–3 Jake Rosholt 3–10March 18, 2006 2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win7–2Jerry Rinaldi7–4
Win6–2B.J Padden6–5
Win5–2Ryan Goodman6–2
Win4–2Jon Oplinger11–0
2005 NCAA Championships 7th at 197 lbs
Loss3–2Wynn Michalak5–6March 18, 2005 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win3–1Chris Skretkowicz12–6
Loss2–1 Jake Rosholt 4–9
Win2–0 Ryan Bader 3–1
Win1–0Jerry Rinaldi7–1

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References

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  2. ↑ "Fight Card - UFC 172 Jones vs. Teixeira". UFC.com. Retrieved May 3, 2014.
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  4. 1 2 3 "Fight Path: Self-professed "nerd" Phil Davis seeks structure in UFC debut". MMAjunkie.com . December 24, 2009.
  5. ↑ Phil Davis [@philmrw] (August 19, 2020). "It's been a long journey as a blue belt but that journey has now ended. Thanks to all my instructors who have poured knowledge into me as well as the love of this sport" – via Instagram.
  6. ↑ "Light Heavyweight (191.0-210.0 lbs) fighter ranks". FightMatrix.com. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  7. ↑ "Bellator Rankings". www.bellator.com. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
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  14. ↑ "Phil Davis vs. Brian Stann added to UFC 109". mmajunkie.com. Archived from the original on January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 28, 2009.
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  16. ↑ "Phenom Davis gets a submission win to finish UFC 112 undercard". Yahoo! Sports. April 10, 2010. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  17. ↑ "Phil Davis replaces injured Stanislav Nedkov, meets Rodney Wallace at UFC 117". mmajunkie.com. July 22, 2010. Archived from the original on July 11, 2012.
  18. ↑ "Tim Boetsch vs. Phil Davis tapped for UFC 123". mmajunkie.com. September 4, 2010. Archived from the original on July 12, 2012.
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  21. ↑ "Jason Brilz and Phil Davis targeted for UFC 129 matchup". mmajunkie.com. February 16, 2011. Archived from the original on August 29, 2011.
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  23. ↑ "Jon Jones injured, Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans now targeted for UFC 133". mmajunkie.com. April 25, 2011. Archived from the original on August 17, 2011.
  24. ↑ "UFC 133: Tito Ortiz accepts fight against Rashad Evans for Aug. 6 in Philadelphia". mmamania.com. July 13, 2011.
  25. ↑ UFC 140 briefly adds Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida, but UFC boss 'jumped gun' (Updated) Archived 2011-09-29 at the Wayback Machine . MMAjunkie.com (2011-09-27). Retrieved on 2011-12-24.
  26. ↑ "Sources: Rashad Evans, Phil Davis set". espn.go.com.com. November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  27. ↑ "Phil Davis vs. Chad Griggs added to August's UFC on FOX 4 event". mmajunkie.com. May 14, 2012. Archived from the original on June 16, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Phil Davis now meets undefeated newcomer Wagner Prado at UFC on FOX 4". mmajunkie.com. May 30, 2012. Archived from the original on June 4, 2012.
  29. ↑ "With Belcher's spinal fracture, Davis vs. Prado shifts to UFC 153 in Rio". mmajunkie.com. August 25, 2012. Archived from the original on January 3, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Phil Davis meets Forrest Griffin at UFC 155 in Las Vegas". mmajunkie.com. October 19, 2012.
  31. ↑ "With Forrest Griffin Out, Phil Davis Will Not Fight at UFC 155 and Move to Future Card". mmaweekly.com. December 7, 2012.
  32. ↑ "Davis vs. Magalhaes added to UFC 159". mmajunkie.com. January 29, 2013.
  33. ↑ Brian Hemminger (August 4, 2013). "UFC 163 results recap: Phil Davis vs Lyoto Machida fight review and analysis". mmamania.com. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  34. ↑ "Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida vs. Phil Davis - UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie - Fight Statistics". espn.go.com.com. August 4, 2013. Retrieved August 4, 2013.
  35. ↑ "MMA Decisions - UFC 163 Aldo vs Korean Zombie". mmadecisions.com. August 5, 2013. Archived from the original on August 12, 2013.
  36. ↑ "White: Machida 'Definitely' Beat Davis At UFC 163". August 4, 2013.
  37. ↑ White, Dana. "Wow!!! I had Machida winning all 3 rds but that's what happens when u leave it up to the judges!".
  38. ↑ Dana is also notable for preferring the spectacle of aesthetic fighting over the imperative of sporting merit. Lyoto Machida says 'positive thinking' key to coping with difficult loss
  39. ↑ Brent Brookhouse (February 4, 2014). "Anthony Johnson returns to the UFC, will face Phil Davis at UFC 172". bloodyelbow.com. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  40. ↑ "Phil Davis hijacks UFC 172 conference call, trash-talking Jon Jones - FOX Sports". April 21, 2014.
  41. ↑ Homistek, Hunter. "Phil Davis Rips Jon Jones, Dismisses Anthony Johnson at UFC 172 Media Day". Bleacher Report .
  42. ↑ Rondina, Steven. "Jon Jones Clowns on Phil Davis at UFC 172 Post-Fight Presser". Bleacher Report .
  43. ↑ McElroy, Jordy. "Jon Jones Pokes Fun at Chuck Liddell, Phil Davis and Eye-Gouging Accusations". Bleacher Report .
  44. ↑ Guilherme Cruz (August 1, 2014). "Glover Teixeira vs. Phil Davis added to UFC 179 in Brazil". mmafighting.com. Retrieved August 1, 2014.
  45. ↑ Ben Fowlkes (October 25, 2014). "UFC 179 results, photos: Phil Davis wins again in Brazil, dominates Glover Teixeira". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
  46. ↑ Jesse Holland (November 28, 2014). "UFC on FOX 14: Phil Davis vs. Ryan Bader booked for Jan. 24 in Sweden". mmamania.com. Retrieved November 28, 2014.
  47. ↑ "Bellator announces signing of UFC contender Phil Davis". mmajunkie.com. April 15, 2015.
  48. ↑ Michael Stets (June 19, 2015). "Bellator 'Dynamite' to feature title fight, one-night light heavyweight tourney, and GLORY kickboxing in San Jose". mmamania.com. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  49. ↑ "Bellator Light Heavyweight tournament pairs Linton Vassell vs 'King Mo', Phil Davis vs Emanuel Newton". mma-core.com. August 29, 2015. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
  50. ↑ "Phil Davis advances to the LHW finals at Bellator Dynamite 1". efightnews.com. September 19, 2015.
  51. ↑ "Bellator Dynamite results: Phil Davis makes quick work of Newton, meets 'King Mo' in final". bjpenn.com. September 19, 2015.
  52. ↑ "'King Mo' out, Carmont in vs. Phil Davis in Bellator LHW tournament final". bloodyelbow.com. September 20, 2015.
  53. ↑ "Bellator 142 results: Phil Davis shuts down replacement Franics Carmont to win tourney". mmajunkie.com. September 20, 2015.
  54. ↑ "Bealltor Dynamite co-main event recap: Phil Davis knocks out Francis Carmont". bloodyelbow.com. September 21, 2015.
  55. ↑ "Bellator 142 results: McGeary retains belt, gets Phil Davis in next title defense". mmajunkie.com. September 20, 2015.
  56. ↑ "Bellator 154 set for San Jose with Davis vs. Lawal, Chandler vs. Thomson". mmajunkie.com. February 19, 2016.
  57. ↑ "Bellator 154 results: Phil Davis earns title shot with decision over 'King Mo' Lawal". mmajunkie.com. May 14, 2016.
  58. ↑ Alexander, Mookie (September 25, 2016). "McGeary vs. Davis headlines Bellator 163". Bloody Elbow.
  59. ↑ Adam Guillen Jr. (April 24, 2017). "Bellator 180: Phil Davis vs Ryan Bader title fight booked with Muhammad Lawal injured". mmamania.com. Retrieved April 25, 2017.
  60. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Bellator 180 'Sonnen vs. Silva' Play-by-Play, Results & Round-by-Round Scoring". Sherdog. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  61. ↑ Steven Marrocco (June 24, 2017). "Bellator NYC results: Ryan Bader takes light heavyweight title from Phil Davis by split decision". mmajunkie.com.
  62. ↑ "Phil Davis, Ed Ruth Get Opponents for Bellator 186 on Penn State University Campus".
  63. ↑ "Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell booked for Bellator 200 in May". MMAjunkie. February 27, 2018. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  64. ↑ "VIDEO: Phil Davis vs. Linton Vassell ends with highlight-reel finish". MMA Fighting. Retrieved May 26, 2018.
  65. ↑ "Ex-champ Phil Davis vs. Vadim Nemkov added to Bellator's Israel return". MMAjunkie. August 18, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
  66. ↑ McClory, Mike (November 16, 2018). "Bellator 209 Results: Vadim Nemkov Earns Decision Over Phil Davis". Cageside Press. Retrieved November 21, 2018.
  67. ↑ Marc Raimondi (January 23, 2019). "Rory MacDonald vs. Jon Fitch title fight, Bellator grand prix first round slated for April". mmafighting.com.
  68. ↑ Nolan King (August 15, 2019). "Phil Davis, Ed Ruth among five fighters to sign Bellator contract extensions". mmajunkie.com.
  69. ↑ Dave Doyle (October 2, 2019). "Ex-champ Phil Davis meets Karl Albrektsson in Bellator 231 co-headliner". mmajunkie.com.
  70. ↑ "Davis-Machida 2, Archuleta-Mix title fight lead back-to-back Bellator shows Sept. 11-12". mmajunkie.com. August 19, 2020.
  71. ↑ Brent Brookhouse (February 9, 2021). "Bellator set for Showtime debut in April as star-studded Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix headlines slate". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 9, 2021.
  72. ↑ Anderson, Jay (April 16, 2021). "Bellator 257 Results: Vadim Nemkov Wins Decision Over Phil Davis Once Again". Cageside Press. Retrieved April 17, 2021.
  73. ↑ Helwani, Ariel. "Yoel Romero's Bellator debut is set (again)". arielhelwani.substack.com. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
  74. ↑ Law, Eddie (September 19, 2021). "Bellator 266 Results: Phil Davis Dominates Yoel Romero Earns Split Decision". Cageside Press. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  75. ↑ "Phil Davis def. Yoel Romero :: Bellator 266 :: MMA Decisions". www.mmadecisions.com. Retrieved September 19, 2021.
  76. ↑ FightBookMMA (February 9, 2022). "Bellator 276 Officially Set For Saturday, March 12 In St. Louis | FightBook MMA" . Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  77. ↑ Anderson, Jay (March 12, 2022). "Bellator 276: Julius Anglickas Has No Answer for Wrestling of Phil Davis". Cageside Press. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  78. ↑ "Anderson-Davis set for Bellator 297 on June 16". ESPN.com. March 30, 2023. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  79. ↑ "Phil Davis falls to Corey Anderson via split decision at Bellator 297". pennlive.com.
  80. ↑ de Souza, Diogo. "EBI Celebrates 10 Year Anniversary With EBI 21: The Absolutes". Jitsmagazine. Retrieved March 23, 2024.
  81. ↑ "Phil Davis - Official UFC® Fighter Profile". uk.ufc.com.
  82. 1 2 Phil Davis Archived 2011-07-11 at the Wayback Machine . wrestlinghalloffame.org
  83. 1 2 Mike Bohn (March 9, 2022). "Bellator 276 pre-event facts: Phil Davis leaving his mark in Bellator record books". MMAjunkie.com .
  84. ↑ "UFC 123 bonuses: Four Fighters earn $80K". sherdog.com. November 20, 2010.
  85. ↑ Thomas Gerbasi (December 14, 2010). "Ten Best - The Newcomers of 2010". Ultimate Fighting Championship .
  86. ↑ "MMA News 247 Awards 2010". mmanews247.com. January 2, 2011. Archived from the original on January 31, 2011.
  87. ↑ Sherdog.com. "Phil". Sherdog. Retrieved November 21, 2018.

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