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Gifford okay, compares UFC Tampa beating to ‘how Jesus took a lashing and got nailed to the cross’

While their trip to Tampa was mostly a pretty excellent night for the UFC and fans alike, it did carry one notable down note. Near the end of the ESPN+ prelims card, Mike Davis stepped up on short notice for a lightweight fight against Thomas Gifford. What ensued was one of the most lopsided drubbings in UFC history.

It’s not a story told by numbers alone. Statistically, Davis outlanded Gifford 139-88 in significant strikes. A clear win, but on a night where Cub Swanson put up near identical numbers - Joanna Jedrzejczyk out-landed Michelle Waterson 180-58 - it’s hardly an outlandish victory on paper.