Phil Davis is set to face Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 159 on April 27. It’s a sort of “old school” fight between fighters with very strong bases in jiu-jitsu and wrestling.
Davis talked about the match-up between the two on a UFC 159 preview video put out by the UFC (transcription via MMA.TV):
“Vinny’s jiu-jitsu doesn’t concern me at all because he’s bound by the laws of jiu-jitsu. I love jiu-jitsu. Jiu-jitsu is cool. It’s fun. But some of the rules in jiu-jitsu, I break. I do the exact wrong thing, and it works for me because I follow the rules of wrestling, and with wrestling, it’s a little bit stronger of an art form.”
Davis won the NCAA title at 197 pounds in 2008 and finished his college career with a 116-15 mark, earning All-American honors four times.
Magalhaes has had an impressive grappling career, winning several divisions at both the Mundials and ADCC.