UFC on Fox Results 2: What We Learned from Rashad Evans vs. Phil Davis

The main event for the UFC on Fox 2 went much the way most MMA fans predicted with Rashad Evans outclassing Phil Davis inside the Octagon.

Credit Davis for being a game opponent as he was able to survive all five rounds. He took some heavy shots and was put in some bad positions on the mat.

Other than what the scorecards read, we were privileged to a bevy of knowledge from this fight both inside the Octagon and out.

Too Soon for Phil Davis

Phil Davis talked like he was ready to take out Rashad Evans but his actions spoke louder.

Throughout the fight Davis looked tentative and simply couldn't impose his gameplan on Evans. He attempted to his size to keep Evans at bay but clearly just didn't have the explosive capability to properly stay on the outside.

Maybe it was the nerves of it being his first high profile bout, but Daivs looked very lethargic with his striking and takedowns. Evans was able to parry virtually every punch Davis threw and "Suga" managed to avoid or check every kick that came his way as well.

"Mr. Wonderful" did admirably given his experience, but it's obvious he still needs some more fights before he is considered to be "in the mix."

Rashad Evans Needs to Bring Back the Killer Instinct

Rashad Evans was very hesitant in his fight with Phil Davis. Whether it was the reach or part of his strategy, we just didn't see that normal explosion from Evans like we are used to seeing.

Evans was able to secure a mounted crucifix on multiple occasions but failed to put Davis away. His next opponent, Jon Jones, was able to finish the fight from the same position in under 10 seconds.

"Suga" has the cardio to grind out a five round decision against Jones, but he will need be more explosive in order to get in and out on Jones' reach or to secure a takedown.

I'm glad he hasn't gotten punch-crazy like he did prior to his bout with Lyoto Machida, but a sense of urgency would be nice to see from the number one contender.

Phil Davis Needs a Confidence Boost

After dominating much of the competition he's faced thus far into his career, Phil Davis finally tasted defeat. It was clear from the beginning that Davis simply couldn't keep up with Rashad Evans.

Instead of feeling down on himself, Davis needs to use the loss as a confidence boost. I know it sounds weird to have your confidence go up due to a loss, but that's the case given how the fight went. Davis took Evans' best shot and was nearly finished multiple times but was able to survive.

Davis won't be fighting a guy the caliber of Evans for quite some time so this should give him confidence that he is as good as we think he is for his next fight.

Rashad Evans Gained Valuable Experience by Striking with Phil Davis

Rashad Evans was able to land a few power shots and neutralized the reach advantage by Phil Davis. By doing both, Evans likely gained a measure of confidence in facing Jon Jones.

The two have undoubtedly sparred countless hours but sparring and fighting are two different animals. By realizing he can get inside on a much longer fighter in a real fight, Evans has to believe he will be able to do the same to Jones.

Davis may have a more orthodox approach to striking compared to Jones, but Davis did his best to show all kinds of angles to Evans. Seeing those angles (even if they were half-hearted attempts) will give Evans an insight into what the punches and kicks will look like coming from Jones in their match.