Phil Davis (fighter) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Phil Davis
Born	Phil Kwabina Davis (1984-09-25) September 25, 1984 (age 40) Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Other names	Mr. Wonderful
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Weight	205 lb (93 kg; 14 st 9 lb)
Division	Light Heavyweight
Reach	79 in (201 cm)
Style	Wrestling
Stance	Orthodox
Fighting out of	Chula Vista, California, U.S.
Team	LionHeart MMA (2008–2009) Alliance MMA (2009–2024)
Rank	Purple belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Richie Martinez
Wrestling	NCAA Division I Wrestling
Years active	2008–present (MMA)
Mixed martial arts record
Total	34
Wins	25
By knockout	7
By submission	5
By decision	13
Losses	8
By decision	8
No contests	1
Other information
University	Penn State University
Notable school(s)	Harrisburg High School
Medal record Collegiate Wrestling Representing the Penn State Nittany Lions NCAA Division I Championships Gold 2008 St. Louis 197 lb Silver 2006 Oklahoma City 197 lb Big Ten Championships Gold 2006 Bloomington 197 lb Gold 2008 Park Ridge 197 lb

Phil Kwabina Davis (born September 25, 1984) is an American mixed martial artist. He is known for competing in the Light Heavyweight division. Phil has fought in major organizations like the Professional Fighters League (PFL) and Bellator MMA. He was even a champion in Bellator. Before his MMA career, Phil was a very successful wrestler. He won a national championship in college in 2008.

Early Life and Wrestling Journey

Phil Davis grew up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with his two older brothers. He started wrestling when he was in seventh grade. In high school, he was a team captain for four years. He had an impressive wrestling record of 112 wins and only 17 losses. Phil also played tennis and ran cross-country.

After high school, he wrestled for Penn State University. He became a top college wrestler. In 2007, he finished 5th in the country. The next year, in 2008, he won the NCAA national title. He ended his college wrestling career with 116 wins and 20 losses. He was recognized as an NCAA Division I All-American four times.

Mixed Martial Arts Career

After college, Phil Davis began training for MMA. This sport combines different fighting styles. He first trained with the LionHeart MMA team. His training partners included other skilled fighters.

In 2009, Phil moved to San Diego, California. He joined Alliance MMA to continue his training. He also earned a blue belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu. This is a martial art focused on grappling and ground fighting. In 2009, he won a world championship in No Gi Grappling. Phil started his professional MMA career in 2008. He won his first four fights in smaller events.

Fighting in the UFC

Phil Davis joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in December 2009. This is one of the biggest MMA organizations. He made his UFC debut in February 2010. He won his first fight against Brian Stann by decision.

He continued to win his early UFC fights. He defeated Alexander Gustafsson by submission. He also beat Rodney Wallace and Tim Boetsch. His submission win against Tim Boetsch was very famous. It was called the "Mr. Wonderful" submission. He even won an award for "Submission of the Night."

Phil continued to face tough opponents in the UFC. He fought Antônio Rogério Nogueira and won. In 2012, he faced former champion Rashad Evans. Phil lost this fight by decision.

After this, he started another winning streak. He fought Wagner Prado twice. The first fight was stopped due to an accidental eye poke. In the rematch, Phil won by submission. He also defeated Vinny Magalhães by decision. In 2013, he won a close fight against Lyoto Machida. This win helped him move up in the rankings.

Phil's last two fights in the UFC were against Anthony Johnson and Glover Teixeira. He lost to Johnson but then beat Teixeira. His final UFC fight was against Ryan Bader in January 2015. He lost this fight by a close decision. Phil finished his UFC career with 9 wins and 3 losses.

Becoming a Bellator Champion

After leaving the UFC, Phil Davis signed with Bellator MMA in April 2015. This is another major MMA organization. He joined a special Light Heavyweight tournament. In September 2015, he won both his fights in one night. He defeated Emanuel Newton and Francis Carmont. This made him the Bellator Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion.

Winning the tournament earned him a shot at the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship. First, he had to fight Muhammed Lawal in May 2016. Phil won this fight by decision.

On November 4, 2016, Phil Davis fought Liam McGeary for the Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship. He won the fight by decision and became the new champion.

Later Bellator Fights

Phil defended his title against Ryan Bader in June 2017. This was a rematch from their UFC fight. Phil lost the fight by a close decision, losing his championship.

After losing the title, Phil continued to fight top opponents in Bellator. He defeated Leo Leite and Linton Vassell. He won against Vassell with a head kick knockout. In November 2018, he faced Vadim Nemkov and lost by decision.

Phil then had two TKO wins against Liam McGeary and Karl Albrektsson. In September 2020, he had a rematch with Lyoto Machida and won by split decision.

In 2021, Phil participated in the Bellator Light Heavyweight World Grand Prix. He faced Vadim Nemkov again for the championship. Phil lost this fight by decision. After the Grand Prix, he continued to win. He defeated Yoel Romero in September 2021 and Julius Anglickas in March 2022. His last Bellator fight was a loss to Corey Anderson in June 2023.

Joining the PFL

In 2024, Phil Davis moved to the Professional Fighters League (PFL). He was set to fight Rob Wilkinson in April 2024 but withdrew.

In 2025, Phil joined the PFL Light Heavyweight Tournament. He fought Rob Wilkinson in the quarterfinal in May 2025. Phil won this fight by TKO. In the semifinal in June 2025, he faced Sullivan Cauley. Phil lost this fight by decision.

Championships and Achievements

Collegiate wrestling

• National Collegiate Athletic Association
  • NCAA Division I All-American out of Pennsylvania State University (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)
  • NCAA Division I 197 lb – Champion out of Pennsylvania State University (2008)
  • NCAA Division I 197 lb – Runner-up out of Pennsylvania State University (2006)

Mixed martial arts

• Bellator MMA
  • Bellator Light Heavyweight World Championship (One time; former)
  • Bellator MMA Dynamite 1 Light Heavyweight Grand Prix Champion
  • Most wins in Bellator Light Heavyweight division (11)
  • Most bouts in Bellator Light Heavyweight division (16)
• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Submission of the Night (One time) vs. Tim Boetsch
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2010: Newcomer of the Year & Ranked #9 Submission of the Year vs. Tim Boetsch
• MMA News 247
  • Submission of the Year (2010) vs Tim Boetsch on November 20, 2010

Mixed martial arts record

NCAA record

NCAA Championships Matches
Res.	Record	Opponent	Score	Date	Event
2008 NCAA Championships at 197 lbs
Win	15–5	Wynn Michalak	7–2	March 22, 2008	2008 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win	14–5	Dallas Herbst	6–0
Win	13–5	Hudson Taylor	7–3
Win	12–5	Logan Brown	9–2
Win	11–5	Riley Orozco	Fall
2007 NCAA Championships 5th at 197 lbs
Loss	10–5	J.D Bergman	4–5	March 16, 2007	2007 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Loss	10–4	Kurt Backes	4–5
Win	10–3	Jerry Rinaldi	6–3
Win	9–3	Travis Gardner	Fall
Win	8–3	Ryan Goodman	9–3
2006 NCAA Championships at 197 lbs
Loss	7–3	Jake Rosholt	3–10	March 18, 2006	2006 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win	7–2	Jerry Rinaldi	7–4
Win	6–2	B.J Padden	6–5
Win	5–2	Ryan Goodman	6–2
Win	4–2	Jon Oplinger	11–0
2005 NCAA Championships 7th at 197 lbs
Loss	3–2	Wynn Michalak	5–6	March 18, 2005	2005 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships
Win	3–1	Chris Skretkowicz	12–6
Loss	2–1	Jake Rosholt	4–9
Win	2–0	Ryan Bader	3–1
Win	1–0	Jerry Rinaldi	7–1

See also

In Spanish: Phil Davis (peleador) para niños

• List of current Bellator fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists