Phil Kwabina Davis (born September 25, 1984) is an American

mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...

who currently competes as a

Light Heavyweight Light heavyweight, also referred to as junior cruiserweight or light cruiserweight, is a weight class in combat sports. Boxing Professional In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruise ...

for

Bellator MMA Bellator MMA (formerly Bellator Fighting Championships) is an American mixed martial arts promotion (entertainment), promotion founded in 2008 and based in Santa Monica, California, owned and operated as a subsidiary of television and media cong ...

, where he is the former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. Prior to signing with Bellator, Davis competed in the

Ultimate Fighting Championship The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, 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 #5 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by ranking site

Fight Matrix Fight Matrix , MMA Rankings, Records, Statistics is an independent, comprehensive, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter ranking system portal. It is one of the sport's most recognized ranking websites. According to FightMatrix: "The rankings on thi ...

. Davis first gained athletic notoriety in college as a

wrestler Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat sport ...

for

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a public state-related land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvania. Founded in 1855 as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania, Penn State became ...

, where he became an

NCAA Division I NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest level of College athletics, intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major ...

champion in 2008. As of October 19, 2021, #2 in the Bellator Light Heavyweight Rankings.

Background

Davis was born and raised in

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...

with his two older brothers, Jeffery and John. He began

wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...

when he was in the seventh grade 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 #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...

Nittany Lions wrestling team, finishing in 5th place nationally in the 197 lb weight class as a junior in 2007 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. After graduating from Penn State, he began training with the newly formed ''LionHeart'' MMA team, coached by Jeff Rockwell (

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

), TJ Turner (

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

), Mark Miller, (

kickboxing Kickboxing is a combat sports, combat sport focused on kicking and punch (strike), punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is pract ...

and

Muay Thai Muay Thai ( th, มวยไทย, , ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the "art of eight limbs", as it is characterised ...

), Matt Kocher (

/ S&C) and

Ryan Gruhn Ryan James Gruhn (born July 22, 1982) is an American Martial Artist, MMA Coach, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black Belt. Personal life Gruhn was born in State College, Pennsylvania and attended State College Area High School. He went to P ...

(Muay Thai) in State College, Pennsylvania. When Phil returns to State College/Penn State he trains at Central PA Mixed Martial Arts with Head Instructor;

as he has for Bellator 186 on November 4 at the Bryce Jordan Center.

Mixed martial arts career

Davis' primary training partners were Paul Bradley, Lou Armezzani and

Jimy Hettes James Michael Hettes (born June 9, 1987) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed as a featherweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Background Hettes is a 2-time Keystone State Games Judo Gold Medalist and earned the nickn ...

. He also trained with many visiting fighters such as Dave Herman,

Shanon Slack Shanon Slack (born April 23, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in Bellator's featherweight division. Background Slack lived his early life in Chicago, but his family moved to Richmond, Virginia when he was in the 6th grade. ...

Dominick Cruz Dominick Cruz (born March 9, 1985) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Bantamweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former two-time UFC Bantamweight Champion. Cruz ha ...

Jon Jones Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which he has competed in the light heavyweight division. He is a former two-time UFC L ...

and

Cain Velasquez Caín Ramirez Velasquez (born July 28, 1982) is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist, currently appearing for Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide (AAA). He is widely known for his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, ...

. When the ''LionHeart'' team disbanded in 2009, Davis moved to

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ; ) is a city on the Pacific Ocean coast of Southern California located immediately adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a 2020 population of 1,386,932, it is the eighth most populous city in the United States ...

to continue his training with ''Alliance MMA''. Davis earned his blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Lloyd Irvin in 2009. In 2009 he won the No Gi Grappling

World Jiu-Jitsu Championship The World IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu Championship (commonly known as the Worlds or Mundials) is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu tournament held once every year by the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation. It is widely considered to be the most important and ...

as a blue belt in the 221 lbs, Super Heavyweight division. 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

in December 2009.

First contender run

Davis made his UFC debut against

Brian Stann Brian Michael Stann (born September 24, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist and U.S. Marine who competed as a Middleweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is a former WEC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was also a col ...

on February 6, 2010, at

UFC 109 ''UFC 109: Relentless'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) on February 6, 2010, at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background A previously rumoured bout between Renzo Gracie and ...

, winning by unanimous decision. Davis faced

Alexander Gustafsson Alexander Gustafsson (born 15 January 1987) is a Swedish professional mixed martial artist. Gustafsson currently competes in the light heavyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gustafsson spent a major part of his MMA ...

on April 10, 2010, at

UFC 112 ''UFC 112: Invincible'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 10, 2010, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Due to the time zone difference in Abu Dhabi, UFC 112 was shown live on pay-per-view in the U ...

. 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 ''UFC 117: Silva vs. Sonnen'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 7, 2010 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, United States. Background UFC President Dana White announced via ESPN on Jim Ro ...

, replacing the injured

Stanislav Nedkov Stanislav Nedkov ( bg, Станислав Недков, born December 9, 1981) is a Bulgarian professional mixed martial artist who last competed in 2015. A professional since 2006, he has formerly competed for the UFC, World Victory Road, and P ...

. Davis controlled the bout with his wrestling and won by unanimous decision. Davis fought Tim Boetsch on November 20, 2010, at

UFC 123 ''UFC 123: Rampage vs. Machida'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on November 20, 2010 at the Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It was the first UFC event in the Metro Detroit area since ...

. 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. Davis was expected to face

Matt Hamill RIT Tigers Matthew Stanley Hamill (born October 5, 1976) is an American mixed martial artist and wrestler who has competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC. He is a three-time NCAA Division III National Champion in w ...

in Toronto at

UFC 129 ''UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on Saturday, April 30, 2011 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Background The event was the sixth that the UFC has hosted in ...

. However, Hamill was tapped as a replacement for

Thiago Silva Thiago Emiliano da Silva (born 22 September 1984) is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for club Chelsea and captains the Brazil national team. Considered one of the best defenders of his generation, he is known f ...

against

Rampage Jackson Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (born June 20, 1978) is an American mixed martial artist, actor and former professional wrestler, who most recently fought in the Bellator MMA. He is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion and unified the Pride Middl ...

UFC 130 ''UFC 130: Rampage vs. Hamill'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on May 28, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Background This event was to be the third meeting between Frankie Edgar ...

. Davis was offered a fight against

Jason Brilz Jason Brilz (born July 7, 1975) is a retired American mixed martial artist who most recently fought in the Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2000, he has competed for the UFC, Titan FC, and King of the Cage. Wrestling career ...

, but then he replaced the injured

Tito Ortiz Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz (; born January 23, 1975) is an American mixed martial artist and politician. He is currently signed to the Combate Americas promotion. Ortiz is best known for his stints with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UF ...

on 6 weeks' notice against

Antônio Rogério Nogueira Antônio Rogério Nogueira (; born 2 June 1976), also known as Minotouro or Lil Nog, is a Brazilian former mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC. He is the twin brother of Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira, the "Minotauro" ...

in his first UFC main event on March 26, 2011, at

UFC Fight Night 24 ''UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 24'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on March 26, 2011 at the KeyArena in Seattle, Washington. Background The event did not lea ...

. Davis defeated Nogueira by unanimous decision. When

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

pulled out of a long-awaited title fight for

Rashad Evans Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist. Evans started his professional career in 2003, he was the Heavyweight winner of The Ultimate Fighter 2 and is also a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion, and a 2 ...

, Phil Davis agreed to fight Evans on August 6, 2011, at

UFC 133 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

, but on July 12, Davis pulled out of the event with a knee injury and was replaced by

. Davis was announced to face

Lyoto Machida (born 30 May 1978), is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and karateka, who currently competes in the Light heavyweight division. He formerly competed for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he was a former UFC Light ...

on December 10, 2011, at

UFC 140 ''UFC 140: Jones vs. Machida'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 10, 2011 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was the penultimate event for the UFC in 2011. The event fea ...

, however, shortly after, it was revealed that Davis was still recovering from a knee injury and the fight did not occur.UFC 140 briefly adds Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida, but UFC boss 'jumped gun' (Updated)
. MMAjunkie.com (2011-09-27). Retrieved on 2011-12-24. Davis faced former

in a Number 1 contender fight on January 28, 2012, at

UFC on Fox 2 The year 2012 was the 20th year in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a mixed martial arts promotion based in the United States. 2012 started with UFC 142: Aldo vs. Mendes and ended with UFC 155: dos Santos vs. Velasquez 2 ...

. 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 Chad Griggs (born May 15, 1978) is former American mixed martial artist who most recently competed in the UFC's Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2005, he has also formerly competed for the Tucson Scorpions of the IFL ...

on August 4, 2012, at

UFC on FOX 4 ''UFC on Fox: Shogun vs. Vera'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 4'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 4, 2012 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Background Chad Griggs was expected to fa ...

. However, Griggs was forced out of the bout with an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer

Wagner Prado Wagner Prado (born December 30, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division of Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA). A professional competitor since 2009, he has formerly competed for the UFC an ...

. 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 ''UFC on FX: Browne vs. Bigfoot'' (also known as ''UFC on FX 5'') was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 5, 2012, at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It was the fifth UFC event broadcast l ...

, took place on October 13, 2012, at

UFC 153 ''UFC 153: Silva vs. Bonnar'' was a mixed martial arts pay-per-view event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on October 13, 2012, at the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background Vitor Belfort was expected to face Alan Belcher a ...

. Davis won the rematch with a second round anaconda choke submission. Davis was expected to face

Forrest Griffin Forrest Griffin (born July 1, 1979) is an American retired mixed martial artist and former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. He was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013 and currently serves as the Vice President of Athlete Development at the ...

on December 29, 2012, at

UFC 155 The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...

. However, in early December, Griffin pulled out of the bout, citing a knee injury. Davis faced

Vinny Magalhães Vinicius "Vinny" de Magalhães (; born July 2, 1984) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Light heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2006, he was a finalist in '' The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs. Team Mi ...

in a wrestler vs.

BJJ Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ; pt, jiu-jitsu brasileiro ) is a self-defence martial art and combat sport based on grappling, ground fighting (ne-waza) and submission holds. BJJ focuses on the skill of taking an opponent to the ground, control ...

specialist fight on April 27, 2013, at

UFC 159 ''UFC 159: Jones vs. Sonnen'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 27, 2013, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Background Jimy Hettes was expected to face Steven Siler at the event; however, Hettes was forced out of the bo ...

. He won the fight by unanimous decision. On August 3, 2013, at

UFC 163 ''UFC 163: Aldo vs. Korean Zombie'' was a mixed martial arts event held on August 3, 2013, at the HSBC Arena in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. Background The main event was expected to feature current UFC Featherweight Champion, José Aldo taking on fut ...

, Davis won a controversial unanimous decision against former

. 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, 13 selected UFC affiliate media outlets scored the fight in favor of Machida. An SP Nation ''fanpost'' stated, "Some MMA commentators and bloggers scored the fight 30–27 for Lyoto Machida." UFC president

Dana White Dana Frederick White Jr. (born July 28, 1969) is an American businessman who serves as president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), a global mixed martial arts organization. In August 2019, White's net worth was estimated at $500 milli ...

tweeted shortly after the fight that he had Machida winning all three rounds, and later told

Yahoo! Sports Yahoo! Sports is a sports news website launched by Yahoo! on December 8, 1997. It receives a majority of its information from STATS, Inc. It employs numerous writers, and has team pages for teams in almost every North American major sport. Bef ...

"Machida definitely won", "MMA judging sucks", and his oft-repeated advice: "Never leave it in the hands of the judges." Machida left the light heavyweight division and went on to fight for the

UFC Middleweight Championship Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships. Historical notes At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...

. 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 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 ''UFC 172: Jones vs. Teixeira'' was a mixed martial arts event that was held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on April 26, 2014, at the Baltimore Arena in Baltimore, Maryland. The event was released on DVD on July 29, 2014. The DVD was dist ...

, 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

on a media promotion conference call. 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. Jones, who defended the UFC Light Heavyweight title against

Glover Teixeira Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champi ...

at the same event, took pleasure in mocking Davis' loss at the post-fight press conference, and later on-line.

Final UFC fights

After UFC 172, Davis faced

who was coming off a loss to

on the same card. The fight took place October 25, 2014, at

UFC 179 ''UFC 179: Aldo vs. Mendes 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held on October 25, 2014, at Ginásio do Maracanãzinho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Background The event was headlined by a Featherweight Championship rematch between the current champ ...

. He utilized his wrestling advantage and won the fight by unanimous decision. Having just one fight left of his UFC contract, Davis faced

Ryan Bader Arizona State Sun Devils Ryan DuWayne Bader (born June 7, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist currently signed to Bellator MMA where he is the current Bellator Heavyweight Champion, the former Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion, an ...

on January 24, 2015, at

UFC on Fox 14 ''UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson'' (also known as ''UFC on Fox 14'') was a mixed martial arts event held on January 24, 2015, at the Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. Background This was the fourth event that the UFC has held in Sweden and t ...

. 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

on April 15, 2015.

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. He faced

Emanuel Newton Emanuel Newton (born February 1, 1984) is a retired American mixed martial artist who competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division, where he is a former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. He has also competed for WEC, King of the ...

in the opening round and won by submission due to a kimura. He was scheduled to face

Muhammed Lawal Oklahoma State Cowboys Central Oklahoma Bronchos Muhammed Lawal (born January 11, 1981), also known as "King Mo", is an American professional wrestler and retired mixed martial artist currently signed to Major League Wr ...

in the final. However, Lawal was unable to advance to the finals due to a rib injury and was replaced by alternate

Francis Carmont Francis Carmont (born October 10, 1981) is a French professional mixed martial artist who last competed in the Light Heavyweight division. A professional competitor since 2004, Carmont has competed for Bellator MMA, the UFC, and KSW. Mixed mart ...

. Davis won the bout via knockout in the first round. By winning the tournament, Davis was set up to face Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion

Liam McGeary Liam McGeary (born 4 October 1982) is an English professional mixed martial artist who competed in Bellator's Light Heavyweight division. He is a former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion. Mixed martial arts career Early career McGe ...

at a yet-to-be-determined event. However, on February 19, 2016, it was announced that Davis next opponent would be

in a no 1 contender fight on May 14, 2016, at Bellator 154. He won the fight by unanimous decision. Davis faced Liam McGeary for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship in the main event at Bellator 163 on November 4, 2016. 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

again in a title fight on June 24, 2017, at Bellator 180. Bader and Davis first met at UFC on Fox: Gustafsson vs. Johnson on January 24, 2015, with Bader winning by split decision. He was defeated again via split decision, thus losing the Bellator title. Davis faced undefeated Brazilian fighter Leo Leite on November 3, 2017, at Bellator 186. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Davis faced

Linton Vassell Linton Vassell (born 3 June 1983) is an English mixed martial artist, who competes in the Heavyweight division of Bellator. A professional since 2008, he has also competed for UCMMA and Cage Warriors. He is the former UCMMA Light Heavyweigh ...

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

Vadim Nemkov Vadim Aleksandrovich Nemkov (russian: Вадим Александрович Немков; born 20 June 1992) is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and a four-time Combat Sambo World Champion. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweig ...

on November 15, 2018, Bellator 209. He lost the fight via split decision. Davis next faced

at Bellator 220 on April 27, 2019. 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. In his first fight on that contract, Davis faced

Karl Albrektsson Karl Albrektsson ( sv , Karl Albrektsson, (born September 27, 1993), is a Swedish mixed martial arts fighter, competing in the Light Heavyweight division of Bellator MMA. He has been performing at a professional level since 2012, and he is als ...

at Bellator 231 on October 25, 2019. He won the fight via TKO in the third round. Davis headlined Bellator 245 in a rematch against

on September 11, 2020. 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

for the

Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship Bellator MMA (formerly known as "Bellator Fighting Championships") is an American mixed martial arts promotion, and the following is a history of its champions in each weight class. At the time of its inception in 2008, CEO Bjorn Rebney founded ...

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 Bellator 257: Nemkov vs. Davis 2 was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on April 16, 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Background The event was headlined by two of the Quarterfinals of the B ...

on April 16. Davis lost the bout via unanimous decision, with Nemkov controlling the first three rounds on the feet.

= Post Grand Prix

= Davis faced

Yoel Romero Yoel Romero Palacio (born April 30, 1977) is a Cuban professional mixed martial artist and former freestyle wrestler. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division for Bellator MMA. Romero formerly competed in the Middleweight division ...

, who was making his Bellator debut, on September 18, 2021 at

Bellator 266 ''Bellator 266: Davis vs. Romero'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by Bellator MMA that took place on September 18, 2021, at the SAP Center in San Jose, California, United States. Background Former UFC middleweight title contender Yo ...

. He won the bout via split decision. Five out of five media outlets scored the fight for Davis. Davis faced Julius Anglickas on March 12, 2022 at Bellator 276. He won the bout via unanimous decision.

Championships and achievements

Collegiate wrestling

National Collegiate Athletic Association The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

All-American out of

Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsylvan ...

(2005, 2006, 2007, 2008) **

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

Division I 197 lb – Champion out of

(2008)Phil Davis
. wrestlinghalloffame.org **

Division I 197 lb – Runner-up out of

(2006)

Mixed martial arts

(One time; former) ** Bellator MMA Dynamite 1 Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion **Most wins in Bellator Light Heavyweight division (11) **Most bouts in Bellator Light Heavyweight division (14) *

** Submission of the Night (One time) *MMA News 247 **Submission of the Year (2010) vs Tim Boetsch on November 20, 2010

Mixed martial arts record

, - , Win , align=center, 24–6 (1) , Julius Anglickas , Decision (unanimous) , Bellator 276 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 23–6 (1) ,

, Decision (split) ,

, , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

San Jose, California San Jose, officially San José (; ; ), is a major city in the U.S. state of California that is the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley and largest city in Northern California by both population and area. With a 2020 popul ...

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, Decision (unanimous) ,

, , align=center, 5 , align=center, 5:00 ,

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, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 22–5 (1) ,

, Decision (split) , Bellator 245 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 5:00 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 21–5 (1) ,

, TKO (punches) , Bellator 231 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 3:06 ,

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 20–5 (1) ,

, TKO (jaw injury) , Bellator 220 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 4:11 ,

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Tel Aviv Tel Aviv-Yafo ( he, תֵּל־אָבִיב-יָפוֹ, translit=Tēl-ʾĀvīv-Yāfō ; ar, تَلّ أَبِيب – يَافَا, translit=Tall ʾAbīb-Yāfā, links=no), often referred to as just Tel Aviv, is the most populous city in the G ...

, Israel , , - , Win , align=center, 19–4 (1) ,

, KO (head kick) , Bellator 200 , , align=center, 3 , align=center, 1:05 ,

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

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Leonardo Leite Leonardo "Leo" Leite (born March 23, 1978, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) is a retired Brazilian judoka, jiu jitsu practitioner, and mixed martial artist. Martial arts career Judo Leite began his career in judo in 1984 at the Federal Club under Omar ...

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University Park, Pennsylvania University Park (also referred to as Penn State University Park) is the name given to the Pennsylvania State University's main campus located in both State College and College Township, Pennsylvania, United States. The campus post office was de ...

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Stockholm Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...

, Sweden , , - , Win , align=center, 13–2 (1) ,

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, Brazil , , - , Loss , align=center, 12–2 (1) , Anthony Johnson , Decision (unanimous) ,

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Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

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Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Wagner Prado Wagner Prado (born December 30, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist currently competing in the light heavyweight division of Absolute Championship Akhmat (ACA). A professional competitor since 2009, he has formerly competed for the UFC an ...

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Los Angeles, California Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

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Seattle, Washington Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

, United States , , - , Win , align=center, 8–0 , Tim Boetsch , Submission (Mr. Wonderful) ,

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Auburn Hills, Michigan Auburn Hills is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 21,412 at the 2010 census. Before incorporating as a city in 1983, the area was part of the now-defunct Pontiac Township. It is home to Oakland University ...

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Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi (, ; ar, أَبُو ظَبْيٍ ' ) is the capital and second-most populous city (after Dubai) of the United Arab Emirates. It is also the capital of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the centre of the Abu Dhabi Metropolitan Area. ...

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Las Vegas Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...

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Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

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Fairfax, Virginia The City of Fairfax ( ), colloquially known as Fairfax City, Downtown Fairfax, Old Town Fairfax, Fairfax Courthouse, FFX, or simply Fairfax, is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth ...

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Lemoore, California Lemoore (formerly, La Tache and Lee Moore's) is a city in Kings County, California, United States. Lemoore is located west-southwest of Hanford, at an elevation of . It is part of the Hanford-Corcoran Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA Code 2 ...

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Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...

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NCAA record

! colspan="8", NCAA Championships Matches , - ! Res. ! Record ! Opponent ! Score ! Date ! Event , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2008

NCAA Championships The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...

at 197 lbs , - , Win , 15–5 , align=left, Wynn Michalak , style="font-size:88%", 7–2 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 22, 2008 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 14–5 , align=left, Dallas Herbst , style="font-size:88%", 6–0 , - , Win , 13–5 , align=left,

Hudson Taylor James Hudson Taylor (; 21 May 1832 – 3 June 1905) was a British Baptist Christian missionary to China and founder of the China Inland Mission (CIM, now OMF International). Taylor spent 51 years in China. The society that he began was respons ...

, style="font-size:88%", 7–3 , - , Win , 12–5 , align=left, Logan Brown , style="font-size:88%", 9–2 , - , Win , 11–5 , align=left, Riley Orozco , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2007

5th at 197 lbs , - , Loss , 10–5 , align=left, J.D Bergman , style="font-size:88%", 4–5 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 16, 2007 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, 2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Loss , 10–4 , align=left, Kurt Backes , style="font-size:88%", 4–5 , - , Win , 10–3 , align=left, Jerry Rinaldi , style="font-size:88%", 6–3 , - , Win , 9–3 , align=left, Travis Gardner , style="font-size:88%", Fall , - , Win , 8–3 , align=left, Ryan Goodman , style="font-size:88%", 9–3 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2006

at 197 lbs , - , Loss , 7–3 , align=left,

Jake Rosholt Jake may refer to: Name * Jake (given name), including a list of persons and fictional characters with the name * Katrin Jäke (born c. 1975), German swimmer * Jake (gamer), American ''Overwatch'' player and coach Animals * Jake (rescue dog), a s ...

, style="font-size:88%", 3–10 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5, March 18, 2006 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=5,

2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Oklahoma City hosted the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Team Championship from March 16–18, 2006. 64 teams vied for the NCAA team championship, and over 320 wrestlers competed for individual honors. Oklahoma State University crowned two individual champion ...

, - , Win , 7–2 , align=left, Jerry Rinaldi , style="font-size:88%", 7–4 , - , Win , 6–2 , align=left, B.J Padden , style="font-size:88%", 6–5 , - , Win , 5–2 , align=left, Ryan Goodman , style="font-size:88%", 6–2 , - , Win , 4–2 , align=left, Jon Oplinger , style="font-size:88%", 11–0 , - ! style=background:white colspan=6 , 2005

7th at 197 lbs , - , Loss , 3–2 , align=left, Wynn Michalak , style="font-size:88%", 5–6 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, March 18, 2005 , style="font-size:88%" rowspan=6, 2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships , - , Win , 3–1 , align=left, Chris Skretkowicz , style="font-size:88%", 12–6 , - , Loss , 2–1 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 4–9 , - , Win , 2–0 , align=left,

, style="font-size:88%", 3–1 , - , Win , 1–0 , align=left, Jerry Rinaldi , style="font-size:88%", 7–1 , -

References

External links

Background

Mixed martial arts career

Ultimate Fighting Championship

First contender run

Second contender run

Final UFC fights

Bellator MMA

Road to the title

Title and post-title reign

=Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix

= Post Grand Prix

Championships and achievements

Collegiate wrestling

Mixed martial arts

Mixed martial arts record

NCAA record

See also

References

External links