This was the opportunity for which Phil Davis was gunning when he parted ways with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and signed with Bellator MMA.
“Mr. Wonderful” will challenge unbeaten light heavyweight champion Liam McGeary for promotional gold at 205 pounds in the Bellator 163 headliner on Friday at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The rest of the five-fight main card features a women’s featherweight clash pitting former Strikeforce champion Marloes Coenen against Talita Nogueira, a heavyweight battle matching Sergei Kharitonov with Javy Ayala and a pair of welterweight tilts, as Brennan Ward meets Saad Awad and Paul Daley faces Derek Anderson.