Hello once more fans and friends and welcome back to the latest entry in my ?5 Reasons Why? series of columns. For the first part, detailing five reasons why Phil Davis could beat Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, please click here. Now it?s time to focus on the opposite: here are five reasons why Antonio Rogerio Nogueira could beat Phil Davis. Let?s get to it.
5. Is Phil Davis ready for a main-event role?
Jon Jones would have you believe that a rookie that can seemingly do no wrong can always triumph over adversity and realize their potential, but the truth of the matter is that the UFC has a long history of potential-filled fighters that wash out when put in high-profile matches. Recent examples include Josh Grispi and John Hathaway. Sometimes the hype train gets derailed and never fully gets back on track. Davis may look like the next big prospect? but the same was said about Brandon Vera back in the day.
4. The experience factor.
Phil Davis has eight fights? Little Nog has twenty-four. Davis has been fighting MMA professionally for a little over two years? Little Nog has been doing it for over a decade. Davis has fought outside of the United States one single time? Nogueira has fought all around the world. The UFC loves to make ?veteran vs. newcomer? match-ups, and there are some high-profile instances of the newcomers beating the veteran. But sometimes the Cinderella story stays in fairy-tales. With no disrespect meant to Phil Davis, he won?t bring anything to the table that Little Nog hasn?t seen and dealt with before.
3. Even late into his career, Nogueira can still knock people out.
To this day, people still talk about Rogerio?s thrilling KO win over Luis Cane in his (Nogueira?s) UFC debut. And why is that? The reason is simple: up until that point Cane was perceived as one of the next big things at Light Heavyweight, and it was thought that he would become a sure-fire championship contender if he beat Nogueira. Sound familiar? Even this late in the game, ?Little Nog? still packs quite a punch. The seven-fight win-streak he was on before losing to Ryan Bader included four (T)KO?s. When Nogueira lets his hands go, people end up going down. The same could very well happen to Phil Davis.
2. Does anyone think Phil Davis can submit a Nogueira brother?
There?s a difference between having the tools to get the job done and using them. And there?s a difference between the heart of most fighters and the heart of a Nogueira brother. Every second this fight is on the ground is another possible opportunity for Nogueira to grab hold of something and make Davis tap. Even if Nogueira has to eat punches to get it, ?Little Nog? still has the famously-tough Nogueira chin. Phil Davis will have to have his submission defense at its absolute highest, because Little Nog has fifteen minutes to submit him and that?s a task he?s fulfilled many, many times before.
And the number one reason why Antonio Rogerio Nogueira could beat Phil Davis is?
1. Phil Davis has never fought a fighter as versatile as Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
That?s really what this fight boils down to, and this is the biggest reason why Nogueira could win it all. Little Nog is very good at several major areas of the MMA game, and there?s not one aspect of the game that he?s bad in. He?s a good striker, a great grappler, he?s got a solid chin, he?s got good cardio, he?s got a little bit of everything and a whole lot of victories. You don?t go 19-4 against some of the best fighters in the world unless you?re one of the best fighters in the world. Nogueira?s versatility has been his deadliest weapon for a long time, and that?s a blade that?s still razor-sharp.
And there you have it, fans and friends. That?s my say on the matter. But what about you? One last time: Phil Davis. Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. Who?ve you got winning and why?
Source: http://www.fighters.com/03/25/5-reasons-why-antonio-rogerio-nogueira-could-beat-phil-davis
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