The news that Phil Davis has agreed to a multiyear deal with Bellator should not come as a surprise to anyone. But it is a further indication that the landscape of mixed martial arts has changed since the 2014 ousting of Bjorn Rebney and his replacement by longtime promoter Scott Coker.
Bellator vs. the Ultimate Fighting Championship is not a true competition. Not yet. There are a good many miles between where Bellator currently sits and where they need to go in order to be taken seriously as a major threat. The UFC is still a brand name for mixed martial arts, and that is a hefty thing to overcome for any company looking to make some noise in the space.