Despite ‘Philmura’ Finish, Phil Davis Has Compassion for Fellow Fighters

Phil Davis taking the fight from Tim Boetsch at UFC 123

Phil Davis had a wonderful night in Detroit. The up and coming light heavyweight worked a game plan to perfection when he submitted an overwhelmed Tim Boetsch in the second round of their UFC 123 match-up.

“Mr. Wonderful” executed precisely how he intended, taking advantage of every opportunity.

“Every fight definitely has a game plan and it’s thought out,” Davis said on MMAWeekly Radio. “The game plan for this fight was stand with him and control most of the round on the feet, and then go for the takedown and do work there.”

The thing that stuck out most about this fight, however, wasn’t the fact that Davis worked his plan right and exact, but the method he utilized when cranking out the submission. Davis pulled a pulled an arm lock that no one has ever seen performed inside the Octagon.

Shortly after being announced as the winner, Davis stood with ringside color commentator Joe Rogan and confirmed that the new technique would be called “the Mr. Wonderful.” The list of names for the technique didn’t stop there, however.

“On Twitter they’re calling it ‘the Wonderbar’ or ‘the Philmura.’” he said about the submission. “It’s kind of like a one-arm version of the Kimura and I love it.”

Davis talked about the moments leading into the application of the now famous arm lock.

“When I originally went for the Kimura, I knew he had rubbery arms,” he said. “Most guys I train with tap as soon as I extend their arm pretty straight and he wasn’t tapping, so I knew he was pretty rubbery.”

Arm, shoulder, and other joint locks are sure ways to seriously hurt your opponent. Some fight with the philosophy of “tap or snap,” while others tend to be more reserved and prevent from applying 100-percent pressure in a lock.

Despite the impressive submission technique, applying full pressure to a lock appears to be something Davis would choose not to do.

“It sucks that I have to say this, but I knew I was going to have to rip it,” he explained. “He wasn’t going to tap from just pressure. Man, I mean, he’s too rubbery. His shoulders are so flexible. So I had to pull on it and kind of adjust it a little bit more than I wanted to.”

Davis is a competitor at heart, but it’s that heart that keeps him down to earth. He can rationalize the fact that there is more than just an opponent standing across the Octagon from him. He’ll fight to win, but not necessarily to decimate the life of his adversary.

“I don’t wanna see anybody hurt,” Davis explained. “I want him to be able to go home and play with his wife and kids.”