Top 10-ranked Light Heavyweight stars, Phil Davis (No. 5) and Ryan Bader (No. 7) looked to gain separation in the standings tonight (Sat., Jan. 24, 2015) at UFC on FOX 14, which took place inside Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
With both fighters boasting strong wrestling backgrounds, it was either going to be a ground battle or an awkward stand up affair because their shared strength was canceled out. And it turned out to be the latter, with Davis failing to secure takedowns and struggling to stop the constant jab of Bader, who won a split decision after three rounds of mediocre action.
Bader, who had three straight wins coming into this evening, looked to strike first, while Davis -- fresh off a big win over Glover Teixeira in his most recent outing -- danced and looked to pick his shot. About 90 seconds into the match, Davis went for an early takedown, but Bader was able to defend and keep it standing.
Davis went for another soon after, and when Bader went to defend, "Mr. Wonderful" stopped short and landed a nice right cross. Bader was really eager to land a looping right hand, but Davis was able to avoid it early and catch him on the way out with some solid shots. Davis faked another takedown with about one minute remaining, but missed with the hook this time.
Not much action in the first, compelling the restless crowd to voice its collective displeasure.
To start the second stanza, Bader once again emerged the aggressor, with Davis shadowboxing and looking to avoid eating the jabs. Davis went for a real takedown, but once again missed, as Bader used his momentum to tie him up along the cage and land a solid strike on the break ... his best of the match so far.
Davis responded with a kick and more shadowboxing, but appears to have a hard time putting his hands on Bader. Davis unleashed more kicks, while Bader continued to pump his jab. Halfway through the match and Davis has seven failed takedown attempts. With about one minute to go, Davis finally got Bader to the ground in a scramble, but the action returned vertical 20 seconds later.
Round two ended with Bader's back to the cage and Davis attempting terribly ineffective shoulder strikes and foot stomps.
Third and final, and it's safe to assume that the judges are split on a decision. Davis comes out winging more kicks, but Bader is the one who actually lands something meaningful. Not much urgency from either fighter as they exchange huge crosses that both miss. Bader finally gets a nice shot in and then works a guillotine choke as Davis sits on his knees. Bader lands a knee to the belly, forcing Davis to get back on his feet.
Davis finally landing some nice shots inside as Bader appears to be hunting for a homerun. Davis' right eye appears to be swollen shut, most likely from a steady diet of jabs. With 30 seconds to go, Davis continues with the kicks and looks to steal the round with a takedown, but Bader reverses and catches his back.
The fight ended with Bader slamming Davis to the mat, which more than likely earned him late points on the judges scorecards, who awarded "Darth" with a split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28).
For complete UFC on FOX 14 results, including play-by-play updates, click here.
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