UFC 172 results and photos: Anthony Johnson dominates Phil Davis in UFC return

BALTIMORE – For three rounds Anthony Johnson dominated and demoralized Phil Davis, battering him on the feet and shutting down his takedowns en route to a unanimous decision victory (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

The light-heavyweight bout co-headlined today’s UFC 172 event at Maryland’s Baltimore Arena. It aired on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

Johnson got to work early, hurting Phil Davis with big right hands in the first round and sending him back to his corner with a visibly damaged left eye. Though Davis tried to mount a comeback in round two, he had no answer for Johnson’s stand-up skills and never even got close to getting Johnson to the floor.

By the time the third round came to a close, there was little doubt as to how the judges would see it. Johnson’s victory was as one-sided as it was impressive, and afterward he thanked UFC President Dana White for releasing him after a series of failed weight cuts.

“That’s the man who changed me,” Johnson told UFC color commentator Joe Rogan. “He made me turn into a beast.”

“Every win is a great win, this one included,” Johnson later said. “He had good movement; he’s a very evasive fighter – not to mention he has an incredibly hard head. I didn’t have any octagon jitters. I felt right at home back in the UFC. I wanted to fight to the best of my abilities and I think tonight I did that. I didn’t let myself worry about what the press was saying because I was focused this whole camp.”

Davis (12-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) snaps a three-fight winning streak with the loss. Johnson (17-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) has now won seven straight fights.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 172 results include:

• Anthony Johnson def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
• Luke Rockhold def. Tim Boetsch via submission (kimura) – Round 1, 2:08
• Jim Miller def. Yancy Medeiros via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:18
• Max Holloway def. Andre Fili via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 3, 3:39
• Joseph Benavidez def. Timothy Elliott via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 4:08
• Takanori Gomi def. Isaac Vallie-Flagg via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
• Bethe Correia def. Jessamyn Duke via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
• Danny Castillo def. Charlie Brenneman via knockout (punch) – Round 2, 0:21
• Chris Beal def. Patrick Williams via knockout (flying knee) – Round 2, 1:51

For more on UFC 172, stay stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.

(Steven Marrocco and John Morgan contributed to this report on-site in Baltimore.)