MMA News Forums - 'Potent' Phil Davis has settled into his own groove ahead of Wagner Prado rematch

'Potent' Phil Davis has settled into his own groove ahead of Wagner Prado rematch

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Phil Davis looks to re-establish himself as a light heavyweight threat as he rematches Wagner Prado at UFC 153 after their first encounter resulted in a "No Contest."

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"For me, it's literally just more time in the gym. I got beat by [Rashad Evans] on experience and he fought the smarter fight. The more time I spend training in this sport, the more dangerous I'm going to get. That's really just it. From when I fought [Evans] to now, I've gotten so much better. And by the time January comes back around, which is when I fought him, I will be much better then. The most dangerous part of someone fighting me is allowing me to learn more about this whole MMA game."

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"In some ways, I'm ahead of the curve and in some ways I'm behind. Most of my fighting career has been inside the Octagon. Not too many people can say that. Which means, of all the people I've fought, most of them have been top competition. If you go through the guys I've fought, they've all been gamers. I really didn't have the chance to develop like most other fighters have, like getting progressively tougher as they go along. By the time I had my tenth fight, I was going against the former world champion. You have to sink or swim. Sometimes, I get a little upset at myself because I wish I was a little better at this or that or just had a performance that I didn't like. Sometimes, I wish I could do something extravagant in there like Anderson Silva. But I have to say to myself, 'Listen, you've been doing this for two years and you're fighting the best guys in the world. Maybe you should just be cool with winning.' As I've gotten more confident and been able to settle into my own groove of my fighting style, I've been more potent in the gym and my overall game has gotten a lot better. I need to stop being so anxious about getting the highlight reel finish and just take my time and learn my way."

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With a rematch looming this weekend (Oct. 13, 2012) at UFC 153 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Davis says he has no qualms of fighting in Prado's home country.

"Fair is fair. The first time, we fought was in LA, which isn't necessarily my hometown, but it's closer than where Wagner is from. I get it. This time, we're fighting in Rio. It's not where Wagner's from, but it's sort of like his hometown. That's as fair as fair can be. You can't ask for more of a fair shake than that. I'm glad to fight in front of the Brazilian fans. They're great fans, they're fanatics about the sport, they like to see good fights, they're educated fight fans, and I would like to give them everything they paid their money for -- and then some."

UFC 153: 'Potent' Phil Davis has settled into his own groove ahead of Wagner Prado rematch - MMAmania.com