For Phil Davis, Anderson Silva is His Brazilian Trifecta
Calling out your next opponent is good for business when in the fight game. The practice gets you noticed as a fighter, and draws intrigue from fans, foes, and executives making decisions on your next fight.
Phil Davis went all in with his post-fight interview at UFC 179 on Saturday night, applying his take on the call-out with a bold move in naming Anderson Silva.
Come again?
“There’s only one reason why I want to come back to Brazil, that’s Anderson Silva,” Davis said on the FOX post-fight show. “He would complete my Brazilian trifecta. He’s the triple crown.
“I love the guy. He’s a great fighter. [But] this is the fight game. He’s the best there is. That’s why I want to fight him.”
Tough spot to be in for Davis, who'll have to wait until Silva is done fighting Nick Diaz on Jan. 31. Then, and only then, will he know if Silva would be up for a fight with him. Still, even then, Davis getting a fight with the former UFC middleweight champion is a long shot because fight bookings involving “Spider” consist of one of two scenarios at this point in his career: super fights (like the one with Diaz) or title fights.
Unfortunately for Davis, he is neither a title holder or a big enough name to be the other half of a super fight. Not quite yet, Phil.
Although he'll want to cap off his trifecta with a Silva clash, Davis will likely have to settle for someone else. But if he's so motivated to fight Brazilians in Brazil, Shogun Rua is scheduled to fight in two weeks. Once Rua gets through — win or lose — Jimi Manuwa, the timing for a match-up with with Davis might be just the right fit for both fighters. Rua will get a fight in his home country, and the “Brazilian Killer” will get a marquee fight with a legend of the sport to cap off his trifecta.
And with how often Davis has been competing in the South American country, it's not surprising that he's beginning to gather a following of the Brazilian kind.
“Brazil's been good to me,” Davis said at the post-fight press conference. “I think [this time] I had a lot more fans here in Brazil.”
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