Phil Davis: Scott Coker is like Bill Belichick
“Now, regardless of whoever has criticism of Bill Belichick and this and that, you won’t ever hear his players talking bad about him, because they freaking love him.”
Phil Davis is taking part in a four-man, one-night light heavyweight tournament at Saturday’s Bellator: Dynamite show. That is just part of the evening’s ‘Big Tent’ appeal, which also has Tito Ortiz fight league champion Liam McGeary, and both MMA in a cage and GLORY kickboxing in a ring, sometimes simultaneously.
Davis’s first fight of the night will be against former champion Emanuel Newton.
“No, I’m not really doing anything different to prepare for this fight,” said Davis to Zane Simon for BE. “I still have one fight to win. I have to beat Emanuel Newton. After I beat Emanuel Newton, then I’m in a tournament. So, don’t win that fight, then you’re not in the tournament. I think the most important thing is just to concentrate on what I do know vs. what I don’t know and win that fight.”
“I have competed four or five times in one day (in wrestling) and I’m confident I can do that again, but at the same time it’s much different competition. The biggest thing is just being able to stay re-focused from one fight to the next. Like, right now, after I win a fight I’m like, ‘Man, I’m ready to relax and hang out with the family.’ After I win my next fight, I’ll have to re-focus and stay mentally prepared to go out and fight again.”
Davis was asked about himself and several other former UFC fighters testing the waters in Bellator MMA, but he took issue with the characterization.
“I want to go ahead and change some of the verbiage of what you said,” he said. “You said that guys like Josh Thomson, Josh Koscheck, and myself are ‘testing the waters of Bellator,’ and Scott Coker needs no test. This guy is proven. He’s an awesome promoter. Guys love to fight for him. He runs a great promotion, which is why guys love to fight for him. People compare him too… People!? I compare him to Bill Belichick. Guys love to play for Bill Belichick! Now, regardless of whoever has criticism of Bill Belichick and this and that, you won’t ever hear his players talking bad about him, because they freaking love him.”
