Phil Davis is more than happy with how things panned out for his next fight.
The former Bellator light heavyweight champion takes on current titleholder Vadim Nemkov in a rematch set to go down at Bellator 257 on April 16. The 205-pound championship bout is part of Bellator’s recently announced light heavyweight grand prix. Davis (22-5 MMA, 9-2 BMMA) has racked up three consecutive wins since losing to Nemkov (13-2 MMA, 5-0 BMMA) in a split decision back in November 2018.
Despite his impressive run, there were many new players and worthy contenders that could’ve skipped past Davis and drawn the champion in the initial matchups. “Mr. Wonderful” is excited he got a chance to avenge a loss and fight for the title in his the grand prix quarterfinal.
“That’s what I want; this is an ideal situation for me,” Davis recently told MMA Junkie Radio. “I have all the confidence in the world that I can pull off a victory against Nemkov.
“And then looking at the rest of the tournament, I’m like no matter what, anyone who looks at this tournament is going to say, ‘Gah-lee, this is a bunch or murderers right here. This tournament has a bunch of hitters.’
“You don’t have an easy draw. So for me, when I look at it and I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is exactly what I want.’ I want everyone to know when I come out on top, like, you have to respect this dude. This dude has hustled. He has game. He killed it.”
The Bellator light heavyweight grand prix involves some of the biggest names in the sport at 205 pounds. Davis might arguably be on the toughest side of the bracket, as he’s set to fight the winner of Anthony Johnson vs. Yoel Romero if successful against Nemkov.
Davis feels that bout might be a coin flip, but he does have reservations about Anthony Johnson’s skill level due to his four-year break from the sport.
“That’s a tough one, and it may come down to who lands first,” Davis explained. “Johnson has’t fought in a long time, so you know, what has he been up to?
“When you’re a high-level fighter, you just don’t step away. So even though he got big and he was powerlifting and this and that, I imagine he still has passion for the sport and he’s just, ‘Ah I’m going to hit the bag and work out with some of the heavyweights, throw some guys around, be a body, have fun.’ So I imagine he didn’t completely let himself go, but to what degree? It’s hard to say. But with Romero, he’s always a beast. He might lose, but still a beast.”
Bellator 257 airs on Showtime from Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
To see the full interview with Davis, check out the video below.
Phil Davis: Bellator grand prix draw vs. Vadim Nemkov ‘an ideal situation for me’