Phil Davis vs. Tim Boetsch

Rising light heavyweight prospect Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis justified the oddsmaker's lines placing him as a heavy favorite by dismantling the dangerous Tim Boetsch over two rounds. For Davis, the win made for four victories in four tries in the UFC, all of them in 2010.

The question for those tracking "Mr. Wonderful's" progress as a future contender was whether he would demonstrate increased all-around technical ability to complement his raw athletic talent and superior wrestling pedigree. The other question was how he would handle the powerful striking onslaught of Boetsch, who unlike previous opponents could finish fights in one shot. The answer was that Davis performed admirably in both respects. As the men traded standup in round one, it was clear that Davis had added a powerful arsenal of low and middle leg kicks to his repertoire, which landed heavily and repeatedly on the approaching Boetsch. Boetsch responded primarily with punching combinations, and while Davis still looked to have trouble utilizing his hands in the standup, he skillfully evaded taking any damage, while delivering good damage of his own with the use of his kicks.

The Phil Davis of fights past emerged near the 2:30 mark of the first, when he secured his first takedown on Boetsch and, to virtually no one's surprise, proved impossible to sweep or otherwise dislodge for the majority of the remainder of the round. Davis delivered solid ground-and-pound to Boetsch, who was nullified and could only ride out the time. Boetsch finally made it to his feet shortly before time expired, and ate a series of knees from the clinch from Mr. Wonderful for his trouble. The bell sounded with a clear 10-9 round in favor of Davis.

Davis secured his second takedown at roughly the 3:15 mark of the second stanza, and initiated a submission attempt that not only won him the fight and garnered him Submission of the Night honors (and an $80,000 bonus), but was also identified as never-before-seen by Joe Rogan and others in attendance. After attempting variations of a straight armlock and a Kimura from the top position while lying across the prone Boetsch near the fence, Davis locked up Boetsch's arm beneath his body with one of Davis's own in a familiar "seatbelt" position. Davis continued to drive the arm underneath Boetsch, however, until the pressure on Boetsch's shoulder began to visibly pain him. Davis polished off the move -- in essence, a modified Kimura -- by utilizing his second hand to further chicken wing Boetsch's arm underneath his own body.

When the tap came from Boetsch at the 2:55 mark the talk was of the new "Mr. Wonderful Submission" named after the gracious but delighted winner. While Boetsch remained a viable gatekeeper coming off the loss, all eyes were plainly on Phil Davis both before, during and after the fight, which once again showcased him as among the division's top athletic talents.