A Different Kind of Wonderful: Phil Davis Needs An Impressive Performance At UFC 179 To Stay Relevant

By Raphael Garcia

As mixed martial arts becomes more like other mainstream sports, one reality has become apparent: It is easy to forget about fighters who were once touted as “the next big thing.” Heading into UFC 179, Phil Davis finds himself on the cusp of being just another competitor in the UFC’s light heavyweight division. This is a far cry from the direction that “Mr. Wonderful” seemed to be headed just a few short years ago.

It’s almost amazing how young Davis is in both his age and professional career. The Pennsylvania native is just 30 years old and has only 13 professional bouts on his resume. Back in 2010 he debuted for the promotion against Brian Stann with just 4 fights to his name. With only two losses, it’s odd to think of this competitor as close to receiving the dreaded “gatekeeper” tag. How did this occur for a man who was once figured to be the best opposition for the champion, Jon Jones?

Well, let’s travel back in time to January of 2012. Davis was riding a nine-fight win streak, which included five inside the Octagon. He even had a win over Alexander Gustafsson – the man that many are currently clamoring to see face the champion again. However, his hype train was not only derailed, but completely destroyed by Rashad Evans at UFC on Fox 2. And though nearly every fighter is likely to lose a bout or two when they are competing against the best that the sport has to offer, it was the way he was dominated in this bout that would raise eyebrows regarding how far Davis would go.

Questions about Davis’s tentative combat style came come into play in the bouts that followed. In his two most recent bouts the Alliance MMA team member frequently looked disinterested in engaging with his opponent or attempting to impose his will.

His victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 163 was one of the most controversial wins of 2013. The judges may have scored the fight in favor of Davis via a unanimous decision, but many fans and media members felt that Machida did enough to get the nod.

Then came his defeat to Anthony Johnson in April at UFC 172. He looked extremely tentative from the start of the contest, only landing 21 strikes over the course of three rounds. It seemed that Davis was apprehensive about engaging with Johnson due to the well-known fact that “Rumble” is a heavy hitter who delivers power in every shot.

In fact, over his entire UFC career, Davis’ strike attempt per minute rating via Fight Metric has him at 1.36; he fights at an extremely slow pace. And pacing is important for not only winning a contest, but in avoiding the ire of UFC President Dana White, who prefers fighters that put on fast-paced exciting contests. Davis has consistently won throughout his career, but his plodding style could cost him, regardless of what his current record may be.

This leaves Davis with a dilemma: Should he go out and engage his opponent more? That’s not a smart strategy when facing someone like Glover Teixeira, a fighter that can end a bout with just one blow. Or should he lean on his world class wrestling to win bouts via positioning and grappling? This style does not usually win competitors new fans, and in fact, it has set some up for the unemployment line faster than others.

If Davis gets finished in violent fashion this Saturday, it would not be too surprising to see him cut from the organization. Yet it would be hard to see him in a much better position if he wins a slow paced, wrestling-heavy affair, because the UFC does not reward what fans consider “boring” performances. Mixed martial arts competition is about the amalgamation of multiple combat skills. But unfortunately for Phil Davis and a host of others, they fight in a sport that wants violence and action first. Phil Davis has to answer the call or find himself further on the outside than he already sits.