Dana White’s Tuesday Night Contender Series continues to deliver on exciting prospects. Known as “Killer B”, Mississippi featherweight Brandon Davis (8-2) should be on every fight fan’s radar in 2018. In the cage, Davis is a relatively slick kickboxing hurricane. Outside, he’s cool, he’s smooth, and charming to boot. Davis had a 2017 Fight of the Year candidate in his non-stop brawl with the Sikjitsu trained prospect, Austin Arnett (15-3).
This is Fighter of Interest, where underrated fighters from an upcoming event are brought to light.
Fighter of Interest: Brandon Davis
On paper, Davis seemed outmatched against the veteran Arnett, who was riding a 13 fight win streak with 10 finishes. At the end of the night, it was Davis walking away with the win and a UFC contract.
LAST FIGHT: UD over Austin Arnett, DWTNCS Week 4
The swagger of Davis immediately catches your eye. Light on his feet, hands down, Davis makes use of head movement and feints. Basic concepts in pure striking sports, but in MMA those simple tools can make a huge difference. “Killer B” attacked early and often with punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, but Arnett hung tough and fired back all fight, making for an instant classic. Check out the fight highlights below.
By the end of the three-round fight, Brandon Davis had thrown over 400 significant strikes, almost doubling up on his more experienced opponent. Davis displayed excellent control of pace, changing speeds and the rhythm of the fight on a whim, never allowing Arnett to settle and gain momentum.
On the ground, Davis showed basic competency in his submission defense, surviving after Arnett jumped guard for a tight guillotine. On top, in guard, Davis quickly opened a cut on Arnett’s forehead with an elbow and just went to town.
It wasn’t perfect, Davis was caught flat throughout the fight and took some clean right hands on his chin, which is apparently made of leather. His relentless pace eventually took its toll, but the conditioning is definitely there for Brandon Davis. This is the kind of guy you can count on to produce entertaining fights in the UFC for years to come and a bright prospect in the division.
You can watch Brandon Davis vs. Kyle Bochniak at UFC 220 on Saturday, January 20th headlining the Fox Sports 1 preliminary card. If you like strikers who keep a high pace and live for violence, tune in around 8:30 EST. You won’t be disappointed.
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