Phil Davis remains one of the most prominent figures in the Bellator MMA light heavyweight division, but a few high-profile losses have left him in something of a competitive purgatory.
“Mr. Wonderful” will attempt to put himself on steadier footing at 205 pounds when he faces Julius Anglickas in the Bellator 276 co-headliner on March 11 at The Family Arena in St. Louis. Davis has rattled off four wins across his past five appearances. The four-time NCAA All-American wrestler last competed at Bellator 266, where he eked out a split decision over Yoel Romero in their three-round main event on Sept. 18. Anglickas, meanwhile, has won nine of his past 10 bouts. He last fought on Oct. 16, when he submitted to a fourth-round kimura from Vadim Nemkov in a failed bid to capture the undisputed light heavyweight crown at Bellator 268.
As Davis and Anglickas approach their high-stakes affair, a look at some of the numbers that have accompanied them to this point:
37: Years of age for Davis, who was born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Sept. 25, 1984.
6: Davis victories by knockout or technical knockout, accounting for 26% of his career total (23). His list of Bellator victims: Karl Albrektsson, Liam McGeary, Linton Vassell and Francis Carmont. Davis owns five other victories by submission and 12 more by decision.
14: Consecutive calendar years in which Davis has fought at least once. He went 1-0 in 2008, 3-0 in 2009, 4-0 in 2010, 1-0 in 2011, 1-1 with one no contest in 2012, 2-0 in 2013, 1-1 in 2014, 2-1 in 2015, 2-0 in 2016, 1-1 in 2017, 1-1 in 2018, 2-0 in 2019, 1-0 in 2020 and 1-1 in 2021.
109: Seconds needed for Davis to put away Josh Green with punches at a Palace Fighting Championship show on Jan. 22, 2009. Having occurred more than 13 years ago, it remains the fastest finish of his 30-fight career.
.782: Cumulative winning percentage between the four men—Nemkov (twice), Ryan Bader (twice), Anthony Johnson and Rashad Evans—who have defeated Davis. They boast an 86-23-1 combined record.
30: Years of age for Anglickas, who was born on July 23, 1991 in Plunge, Lithuania.
4: Anglickas wins by submission, accounting for 40% of his career total (10). All four have come via rear-naked choke. Anglickas holds three other wins by knockout or technical knockout and three more by decision.
1,940: Days between defeats for Anglickas. He suffered his first setback when he submitted to a Cameron Olson arm-triangle choke at a Victory Fighting Championship event on June 24, 2016 and did not lose again until his aforementioned ill-fated encounter with Nemkov.
21: Professional rounds completed by Anglickas as a mixed martial artist. He has gone the distance on three occasions and carries a perfect 3-0 record in those bouts.
7: Organizations in which Anglicks has plied his MMA trade. He has gone 3-1 in Bellator, 2-0 in the Legacy Fighting Alliance, 2-0 in Shamrock Fighting Championships, 1-0 in Dana White’s Contender Series, 1-0 in Midwest Championship Fighting, 1-0 in the Nemesis Fighting Alliance and 0-1 in Victory Fighting Championship.
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