• UFC 133

Mr Wonderful planned slower route to the top

ESPN staff
April 26, 2011
Phil Davis struggled to dominate Antonio Rogerio Nogueira © Getty Images
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Phil Davis has confessed his fight with Rashad Evans may have arrived too early in his career.

Mr Wonderful has stepped in to fight Evans at UFC 133, replacing UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones, who requires surgery on his hand. The revised bout will not be for an interim title.

Davis is coming off a hard-earned victory over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, which acted as something of a reality check to remind onlookers of how much the 26-year-old still has to learn. Nogueira stuffed a catalogue of the wrestler's initial takedown attempts, leaving Davis exposed on his feet.

Evans also comes from a stellar wrestling background, and he boasts some of the fastest hands in the 205lb division. The former champion represents a huge step up in class for Davis, who admits he had not been looking so high up the light-heavyweight ladder.

"I was shocked; I was surprised," Davis told MMA Junkie. "I was very thankful that they thought of me as the next guy to get that calibre of fight.

"His name wasn't one of the ones I was looking to fight next. But it looks like it's next on the list, so it looks like we have a date.

"I don't know that this is the timeframe I was looking for. But it's a great opportunity and a great chance to further my career."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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