Normally, UFC light heavyweight Phil Davis isn't one for pre-fight predictions. When it comes to guys he doesn't know and hasn't trained with, he said, he generally doesn't care who wins and who loses. Even if he has an opinion on it, he usually keeps it to himself because, as he put it, "I know it's the fight game, but cats get their feelings hurt."
But Davis made an exception when talking to MMA Fighting about his friend, training partner, and former opponent, Alexander Gustafsson (10-1), who takes on New Zealand's James Te-Huna (12-4) at UFC 127 on Saturday night.
"I think Alexander Gustafsson is going to win impressively," said Davis. "He's my training partner and he's a big part of our team, and I think he's going to smash Te-Huna. Just smash him."
Davis said he began training with Gustafsson at Alliance MMA in San Diego after defeating his Swedish counterpart via submission at UFC 112. After the fight the two were talking, exchanging what Davis thought were empty promises to get together and train some time, but Gustafsson eagerly took him up on the offer.
"He said, 'Yeah, yeah, let's get together and train.' He's a young cat like I am, and we just can't afford to miss good training," Davis said. "Ever since he's been here it's just been an eye-opener, because he is that good at stand-up. He's good."
Though Gustafsson knocked out Jared Hamman in his UFC debut and submitted Cyrille Diabate in his last outing, Davis suggested that many fans might still not fully realize what the 6'5" Swede is capable of.
But then, Davis said, those people have likely never been in the gym with him.
"It's great to have someone like him around, just to put you in check," said Davis. "It keeps you honest, you know? If you stayed up too late the night before? He's going to find out. If you didn't eat your vitamins? Alex is going to find out."
Oddsmakers have pegged Gustafsson a 3-1 favorite over Te-Huna, so it looks as if Davis isn't the only one who's confident in his skills.
Since the bout is currently slated for the portion of the UFC 127 prelims that will air on ION TV prior to the start of the pay-per-view, fans will get a chance to see for themselves whether Davis' enthusiastic praise is justified.
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