England's Alfie Davis isn't one for following the crowd. In a week when the PFL confirmed his next opponent, Usman Nurmagomedov, as their first pound-for-pound number one, Davis has been telling anyone who'll listen how overrated he is.
After all, it's that type of defiance that led to Davis getting a shot at the PFL lightweight title in the first place. He arrives at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai this Saturday riding a three-fight win streak. It could be argued he was the outsider in all three.
That was certainly the case last August when he took out Gadzhi Rabadanov, a Team Khabib stablemate of Usman's no less, to win the PFL lightweight tournament and seal his crack at championship gold. “Just call me the 'Dage Destroyer'. I eat them for breakfast,” Davis joked in a Zoom interview with The National.
If beating Rabadanov was a surprise, then repeating the trick this weekend would likely go down as the biggest upset in the relatively short history of the PFL.
Those hoping for such an outcome will likely be in the minority on Saturday. Davis (20-5-1) will no doubt have a sizeable gang of supporters cage-side, but the Coca-Cola Arena is fast becoming home turf for Usman and Team Khabib, who have no fewer than seven fighters on the card.
It's where the 27-year-old Usman (20-0, 1NC) won back-to-back bouts against Ireland's Paul Hughes, cementing his headliner status in the emirate. Davis, though, says it is those fights that will now contribute to his downfall.
“Usman is a very entitled young man. He seems to think that he can walk about, do what he wants, act how he wants, and thinks that he is God's gift. But I think I'm going to prove that he's not,” said Davis.
“Paul Hughes did me a massive favour in that Usman looked unbeatable before he fought him. He was 18-0 at the time. He was beating people quite significantly. I don't know if he lost a round before then.
“And then Paul Hughes put it on him and showed that he's actually not that good. I mean, Usman did fight some decent opponents before that, but equally, I felt that he was built up quite well. The PFL and Bellator did a good job of promoting him. But Paul Hughes is a legit fighter and he showed up some of the holes in his arsenal.”
Those holes, according to Davis, relate to Usman's stamina, his ability to bite down on the gumshield and dig in when things get tough. The champion, he says, has been the beneficiary of nepotism, fast-tracked to the top because of the man in his corner, the UFC legend Khabib.
“It's the Nurmagomedov name,” said Davis. “I coined this term. I think he's like a rich boy. Not because he comes from money. I use the metaphor for someone who has been given everything throughout their life. Sometimes they don't have to work to get it. They've already got it.
“He's been given a great skill set coming from such a good camp. He's been given some great skills, which no doubt he's probably worked on a bit. But I mean, for him to learn those skills is a lot easier because of the elitism around him.
“But because of that, he's not really got the grit to keep him up. When it gets difficult, I think he crumbles. He's quite entitled. He seems to think that because he's so skilful that he can just beat everyone easily.
“But fighting is a sport where skill is only one thing. It also comes down to who's got that dog in them as well. You see some fighters that aren't really that skilful, but because of the determination that they've got, they go and win world titles. It's the same in many sports, but fighting, especially, that is definitely expressed more.
“So, I think he's entitled, that he's got this skill set and he's quite entitled about it. Even just his mannerisms in general, the way he bowls about, he's just dismissive of everyone. He seems quite rude to other people. He just looks like a rude, rude guy. So I need to put him in his place.”
That could come early, or it could be a slow beating, according to the 33-year-old Davis, known as “The Axe Man”.
“I think he's got a weak body. If he gets hit to the body he fades fitness-wise, pretty easy. I think that's what Paul Hughes did in the first fight, is attack the body,” he said. “And then he faded and was looking for a way out.
“People have been asking me to predict the fight. I feel like there's two ways that can happen. I think I could catch him early because he's just overconfident and too cocky, or I'm going to make him suffer in rounds three, four and five.”
Davis had a few words for the man in Usman's corner, the UFC lightweight great Khabib, as he said: “When I beat Usman, he's going to have to come out of retirement. So, I think he should be the next opponent for me. I'll have already beaten two of his boys after Saturday.
“So, Khabib, I think you've got to start getting that weight down again, buddy. I think the PFL are going to have to sign you. You're going to have to do a title fight.”
