Davis has arrived at UFC
Date: 2010-02-08 00:00:00
Source: http://www.watchkalibrun.com/2010/2/7/1299573/phil...
Submitted By: Fight Videos
Not all UFC debuts go according to plan. Some turn out to have been grossly over-hyped and have no cardio to speak of ** cough Rolles Gracie cough **, while other succumb to the pressures of fighting on the biggest stage around. Some are simply beaten by better opposition. And some are Phil Davis. The Penn State product had as dominant a debut as any young fighter in the UFC has had in quite some time, earning a Unanimous Decision to push his record to 5-0 and showing why he is near the top of just about every MMA prospect list for 2010. Davis utilized his tremendous wrestling background to repeatedly put Brian Stann on his back before transition to even better positions with relative ease. He worked his gameplan to a tee and looked very much like the uber-prospect many - myself included - had him pegged to be heading into this fight. Watching him work last night, I scribbled down "Rashad Evans with a higher ceiling" as my take on Davis's career possibilities, and I feel pretty solid in that statement after a good night's sleep. His wrestling actually looks better than Rashad's did at the outset of his UFC career, and while Evans is ahead in the striking game by leaps-and-bounds, Davis has a solid submission base to go with his wrestling, as evident by the snatching of Brian Stann's arm at the close of the fight. Evans improved his striking a great deal under Greg Jackson and Mike Winkeljohn's watchful eyes, and Davis can very much do the same out in San Diego with Alliance MMA. The raw talent is there, as well as the best base for success a fighter can have - a high-level wrestling pedigree. As much as Joe Rogan dropped the ball a little last night, he was bang on with that call. Wrestling is still the best precursor to MMA success. Before you start to think this is going to be a Phil Davis Lovefest of Rogan and Goldberg proportions, let's get a few things straight: Phil Davis vs. Jon Jones would be a bloodbath; Davis's win cemented how talented Jon Jones is for me, as "Bones" is four years Davis's junior and light years ahead of him in the cage. Against someone with good takedown defense, Davis's basic stand-up gets him beat; he needs to tighten things up, and continued work with Lloyd Irvin will make that happen. As good as he looked, where was the finish? You can't have a guy mounted or take his back for that long without getting a finish. Not complaining - just saying... Still, the positives are there and that is what is most important to take away from last night's debut. Every fight provides opportunities for growth, whether you're a seasoned vet or a highly-touted youngter making your Octagon debut. Not all fights show as much promise and room for positive growth as Phil Davis's debut did last night. The sky really is the limit for this kid, and he showed that to everyone watching last night. Sidenote: When this fight came on the PPV broadcast, Twitter lit up with a few moans and groans. Davis is clearly a star-in-the-making for the UFC and showcasing him to as large an audience as possible makes perfect sense.
