UFC 123 Preview: The Main Card

Light Heavyweights
Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch

The Matchup: Though they both possess college wrestling experience, Davis’ pedigree ranks several notches up the chain. He was a four-time All-American at Penn State University, meaning he finished in the top eight nationally in his weight class, and won a national championship in 2008.

Boetsch’s brawly style stands in stark contrast to most former college wrestlers who seem more comfortable working on the ground, at least early in their careers, until their stand-up develops. Perhaps best known for his ragdoll toss of David Heath at UFC 81, he has won four fights in a row and will need every bit of that momentum to take out Davis.

Davis only loses this fight if he makes a boneheaded mistake and gets caught with a heavy kick or punch. Boetsch’s best chance is to lure Davis into exchange, perhaps timing one of his kicks with a solid punch. Only seven fights into his professional MMA career, Davis continues to develop his striking, but he will not need it here. He figures to take down Boetsch and work from the top.

The pick: Davis by third-round TKO in an impressive performance that catapults him to contender status.