Phil Davis grabbed the opportunity to attack Jon Jones during a conference call for UFC 172 on April 21, 2014. Davis hijacked the conference several times, saying that Jones should have lost to Alexander Gustafsson in their last match in September 2013 and cutting off the light heavyweight champion, according to a report by Fox Sports.
Although the conversation seemed to be funny and friendly in the beginning, it was obvious that Davis finally got under Jones' skin. After Davis commented on the Gustafsson fight, Jones remarked, "I'm not going to sit here and belittle myself by entertaining Phil. At first I thought it was funny, but now it's just silly."
Davis might have picked up his pace with Jones after Dana White, UFC president, said how Davis was not vocal enough and seemed content in simply belonging in the top five light heavyweight fighters in the sport, instead of looking for ways to earn the title.
Davis started asking questions like a reporter, asking how the champion got over his fear of Gustafsson. He also inserted sarcastic and insulting statements like asking if Jones needed a teddy bear to sleep at night and he looked like a pirate after Gustafsson hit him in the eye during their previous fight.
MMA Junkie writes that Jones promised Davis that he will "break him apart like a sugar cookie".
Davis commented, "I'm fighting Glover, and he's fighting Anthony Johnson. I need to stay focused on Glover, because Glover is a great challenge to me. I just think when you talk like that and you be so goof, it puts more pressure on you."
Whatever Davis' plan was seemed to work as their recent verbal feud increased the hype in their next respective matches against Glover Teixeira and Anthony Johnson, according to Bleacher Report. Davis used the Chael Sonnen philosophy in promoting fights and gaining fan interest. It may be time for Davis to want to be a champion, as White suggested.
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