Ryan Bader vs. Phil Davis: A Head-to-Toe Breakdown

Before Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony "Rumble" Johnson battle it out at UFC on Fox 14 this Saturday in Stockholm, Sweden, for the right to challenge champion Jon Jones, two more divisional contenders will assert their Octagon dominance.

Light heavyweights Phil Davis and Ryan Bader have both fallen from grace and will attempt to reclaim their rightful spot among the best 205-pound fighters in the UFC.

With some of the best wrestling in the division, both fighters will come into this weekend looking to score points with takedowns and edge out a victory via ground-and-pound.

But considering Bader has some of the best power punches in the weight class and Davis offers complex submission attempts, this fight has the chance to produce a finish.

Here is the full head-to-toe breakdown for an intriguing matchup between two veterans who are aiming to extend their respective win streaks.

Striking Precision

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Neither Davis nor Bader possesses relevant precision in standing strikes.

With low versatility, the wrestling-based juggernauts are at best above-average kickboxers with limited offense in the clinch.

However, unlike Bader, who tends to throw bombs at the sight of danger, Davis is a little more reserved, giving him the ability to lie back and carefully pick his shots.

His muscular build helps him maintain robotic-driven movement in his punches and kicks, which in turn actually makes Davis' strikes crisper and more technical.

Bader can certainly whip together a successful combination here and there, but he's usually looking for the one-punch finish, making him an unlikely candidate to score in bunches.

Advantage: Davis

Punching Power

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As one of the most physically imposing athletes in the division, Davis is able to manhandle some of the best fighters at 205.

His strength capacity is truly abnormal, and it's an asset that usually gives him an obvious advantage come fight night.

But despite his exceedingly impressive power, Mr. Wonderful is rarely capable of channeling that energy into his strikes. As a matter of fact, he has only finished two of his 16 professional fights via knockout or TKO.

On the other hand, Bader does have the ability to inflict massive amounts of damage with one strike, making him a dangerous opponent so long as he's still standing.

Look for Darth to capitalize on this power inside when Davis looks to shoot or suffocate in the clinch.

Advantage: Bader

Wrestling

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Bader is no slouch in the wrestling department.

With 19 takedowns over his last three fights (all victories), he has once again shown that he has one of the best ground games in the division.

But when it comes to Davis, a fighter who is arguably the best wrestler in the sport not named Daniel Cormier, few guys stack up.

Unfortunately, Bader is not one of them.

Now while it's not going to be easy for Davis to secure a takedown on a high-level athlete with a strong base, his power and technique should prevail come Saturday. Whether he scores with his fists or looks to transition in top position is anyone's guess.

Advantage: Davis

Submission Game

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With one of the most underrated submission games in the UFC, Davis often makes his opponents pay when their defense slips up.

Dressed with athleticism, natural strength and technical persistence, he's played his luck to the tune of multiple anaconda chokes and one Mr. Wonderful finish, which is essentially a modified kimura choke.

Needless to say, Davis knows how to finish on the ground when the opportunity presents itself.

As for Bader, whose grappling skills never quite caught up to his power wrestling, defending a guy like Davis could be a tough pill to swallow. His best chance to stay out of trouble is to remain in full guard and do what he needs to do in order to stand the fight up.

Major Advantage: Davis

Intangibles

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Davis obviously possesses more potential than Bader.

With an impressively decorated resume and the ability to evolve as a complete fighter, he's quickly becoming one of the best light heavyweights in the world today.

But despite his high ceiling and eye-popping takedown game, Davis' inability to finish has lessened his popularity. While that should never represent a fighter in his or her entirety, it does help to break away from the rest of the hungry wolves.

So even though Bader has tasted significant defeat throughout his promotional tenure, his aptitude for finishing people helps keep him afloat in one of the best divisions in the sport.

That natural capacity to land a one-punch knockout allows him to stay in a fight no matter how tough the going gets.

Slight Advantage: Bader

Verdict

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No matter which way you look at it, Davis is going to win this fight.

Sure, Bader could potentially land one of his patented haymakers and secure the knockout, but Mr. Wonderful has a good chin and understands what it takes to remain dangerous.

With that being said, his game plan this weekend should focus heavily on his growing submission game.

With the ability to power his way through transitions and score points at every turn, Davis should make Bader pay if he can take him down in succession. But if he abandons his strong suit, which he's done in the past, then Bader could suck him into a game of tit-tat-toe.

Verdict: Davis via Second-Round Submission

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