Phil Davis Outpoints ‘King Mo,’ Claims No. 1 Contender Spot in Bellator 154 Headliner

Phil Davis is now officially Bellator MMA’s light heavyweight No. 1 contender. The 13-time UFC veteran took a unanimous decision over former Strikeforce titlist Muhammed Lawal in the Bellator 154 headliner at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday night, setting up a future showdown with reigning 205-pound king Liam McGeary. The scorecards did not quite reflect how close the bout really was: Two judges submitted 30-27 scorecards for Davis, while a third saw it 29-28, also for “Mr. Wonderful.” The first two rounds were especially hard to score. Lawal picked his spots with power punches, relying on his left hook and right hand while also digging to the body when the opportunity presented itself. Meanwhile, the taller Davis’ offense consisted primarily of a variety of kicks. Overall, it appeared that Lawal landed the more powerful shots through 10 minutes. However, Davis authored the most significant moment of the fight in the third stanza with he staggered “King Mo” with a short right hand and uppercut and then drove his dazed foe to the canvas. The Alliance MMA product then moved to side control and threatened with a kimura and an armbar before Lawal could escape to his feet. Neither man was able to land anything significant in the bout’s waning moments. “Once I got to it I was like, ‘For sure you’ve got this. Relax, take your time,’” Davis said of the kimura. “I should’ve had a little more urgency to get it in there nice and tight.” Davis has won three straight since signing with Bellator, while Lawal saw a seven-fight winning streak come to an end. In the co-main event, Evangelista Santos went to the leg-lock well once again, and Saad Awad made him pay. After submitting Brennan Ward in 30 seconds with a heel hook in his …

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