Although hardly a drop of rain fell here, I knew that right across the mountain, somewhere was catching it. As time passed, from my house here on the farm, I could see the lightning and hear the thunder. I usually enjoy watching storms, but as the hours passed, I could tell that this was different, that this was a "cabeca dagua" or cloudburst, which I have seen one time before and know the destructive power that can be unleashed by it. MMA manager Alex Davis, who co-founded American Top Team and represents a number of big name clients in the sport, including Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, JZ Cavancante, Jorge Santiago, Todd Duffee and more, has written a detailed account of what has happened over the last week in those areas, which you can read below (reprinted with permission): "Last Tuesday evening, the storm started rolling in. Many in the MMA community in Brazil have been directly affected, and as such all are reaching out for whatever help they can receive. The mudslides caused by the massive rainfall have swallowed homes and the lives of residents and rescue workers alike, and the areas have been devastated by the forces of nature. If Davis can use his striking to setup his takedowns, he could become a true force in the division.The tragic storm that hit Rio de Janeiro last week has taken a huge toll on the cities of Nove Friburgo and Teresopolis, among others, with the death toll rising to above 700 as of Monday. The elite of the 205-pound division consists of some of the best strikers in the world, so Davis will have to grow up quick in order to compete at the title contender level. Davis’ lack of confidence in his striking was evident throughout the fight. Davis ran into some trouble in his last fight versus Nogueira.
Unfortunately for Davis, it looks as if he will have to develop those skills on the fly as the UFC is rushing him up the ranks. Davis knows his shortcomings as a striker and has attempted to try and take some time away from the cage in order to better those skills via training. Davis’ skills are still developing as he has stated that many times throughout the last year. Phil Davis carries a lot of weight on his shoulders as one of the few possible threats to current champion Jon Jones’ title reign. Only a few weeks prior to their fight, Davis injured his knee and was forced to pull out of their fight. The win propelled Davis into title contention as he was soon booked to face #1 contender Rashad Evans at UFC 133.
Davis did not look to be going for the finish from top position and seemed content to ride out the clock to a decision victory, which had some fans booing. Following a fairly even 1st round, Davis was able to score takedowns in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, which ultimately allowed him to seal the victory. Nogueira was able to stuff his initial attempts and started to land some effective counter punches, including a solid left hand that nearly dropped Davis. Davis was set to compete for the #1 contender spot opposite Rashad Evans at UFC 133, but Davis was injured during training.Īfter winning 4 fights in the octagon in 2010, Davis slowed down his pace, only fighting once.ĭavis began the year preparing to face wrestlers Matt Hamill and Jason Brilz, but eventually ended up filling in as an injury replacement at UFC Fight Night 24 where he faced off against PRIDE veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.ĭavis fired off some effective kicks to start the fight, but eventually went for the takedown. Davis eventually wore Nogueira down and held on for a close decision victory. The fight was close early as Nogueira denied Davis’ early takedown attempts. Davis took a step up in competition in 2011 as he faced off against former PRIDE star Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Davis relied heavily on his wrestling and submission skills to run through his early competition, defeating future contenders Stann and Alexander Gustafsson, in addition to veterans Rodney Wallace and Tim Boetsch. Davis signed with the UFC in 2010 and made his successful debut against Brian Stann at UFC 109. Davis made a quick transition to mixed martial arts in 2008, dominating the regional scene on way to a 4-0 record. Davis wrestled at Penn State University where he earned All-American honors 4 times. Davis was one of the most accomplished collegiate wrestlers ever to step foot in the octagon. Phil Davis is a rising contender in the UFC light heavyweight division.