Phil Davis is still flying the flag of Bellator going into his PFL debut.
Davis (24-7), a former Bellator light heavyweight champion, will compete for the first time since the two companies merged in late 2023 on Friday when he takes on Rob Wilkinson (19-3) in a light heavyweight quarterfinal at 2025 PFL World Tournament 4, which takes place at Universal Studios in Orlando, Fla. (ESPN2, ESPN+).
Although the Bellator brand is dead, Davis still feels a strong connection to it. And given he is kicking off his run in the new promotion against 2022 PFL champion Wilkinson, he is still radiating with pride for his former home.
“I still feel like I’m representing Bellator,” Davis told MMA Junkie Radio. “I love Bellator. It was a great opportunity. Shout out to Scott Coker. Great organization. … I think I’m representing Bellator in the PFL tournament.”
Now 40, Davis said he thinks he’s still in peak physical shape and capable of making it through the tournament format of three fights between Friday and August, especially if he can get arguably the toughest matchup for him out of the way in the first round.
Wilkinson is hardly a layup opponent, but Davis said he’s embracing the challenge.
“I think they want big matchups,” Davis said. “At the end of the day it’s still fighting, and you have to bring a certain level of entertainment. So they wanted to start the tournament off with a bang, and I believe no matter what, in the finals, it’ll be interesting and it will still have a monumental finish in the finals. They want to start the tournament off right with a tough matchup in the first round, then we’ll see what we get from there.”
