Phil Davis: Fight With Lyoto Machida ‘Not That Close’
Phil Davis’ controversial victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 163 has sparked a huge uproar on the Internet, with most fans quick to jump to Machida’s defense. Deemed a robbery by many, Machida was visibly angered by the loss, which will keep a coveted title shot just out of his reach.
However, even though Davis admits it was a close bout, he’s quick to note that there are some aspects of the bout that went his way. He posted the comparison on his Facebook fan page today, noting that he landed more strikes than Machida in rounds 1 & 2, and of course got two takedowns towards the end of those rounds.
In fact, Davis now believes that it wasn’t even that close of a fight:
“So I had more total strikes and a take down in the 1st and 2nd round…. But I lost those rounds? How? Close, but not that close”
Many will say that it was Machida who landed the more significant strikes, which count a lot more than overall volume of strikes. Machida’s elusive style is also becoming a culprit for the close loss, as his strategy of lulling opponents into a false sense of security may definitely be losing him points in the eyes of judges.
Either way, Davis stands to benefit from a significant jump in the rankings with his debatable win over Machida. Dana White admitted that he thought Machida had won, echoing the sentiment of most fans. Will the defeat cause Machida to plummet greatly?
