Going into his appearance on the Contender Series last summer, Davis was one of the top emerging talents in the featherweight division and pegged as one of the favorites to secure a promotion to the biggest stage in the sport.
Then he squared off with Sodiq Yusuff and the talented featherweight battered his lead leg with punishing kicks and beat him to the punch in numerous striking exchanges, stealing his thunder and securing a contract for himself in the process. While Yusuff has gone on to earn a pair of wins inside the Octagon, Davis rebounded with a pair of victories under the Island Fights banner, re-affirming his standing as one of the top prospects in the sport.
This weekend, “Beast Boy” steps up in place of Eric Wisely to throw down with grappling ace Gilbert “Durinho” Burns.
A permanent fixture on the fringes of the Top 15, Burns is a major test for the talented Davis in his promotional debut. After coming out on the wrong side of a firefight with Dan Hooker last summer, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu standout rebounded with a lopsided decision win over Olivier Aubin-Mercier and carries a 14-3 record overall into this weekend’s preliminary card pairing.
Much like Jandiroba’s bout with Esparza, this is an immediate opportunity for the 26-year-old Floridian to make a splash in his new surroundings. Burns is a decorated grappler and an experienced UFC lightweight, and a win for Davis would catapult him into the spotlight as one of the top young stars to track in the division.
