Sullivan Cauley Stuns Phil Davis, Secures Spot In Light Heavyweight Tournament Final

Sullivan Cauley scored a stunning upset against Phil Davis at the PFL World Tournament on Saturday night in Chicago.

Cauley attempted to push the pace in the opening round, but that only afforded Davis an opportunity to muscle him down to the mat. Cauley ultimately worked his way back up, but nearly got clipped with a high kick on the separation.

Unfortunately for Cauley, things didn’t get much better for him in the second. After getting faceplanted on a takedown attempt from Davis, Cauley ate a nasty knee up against the fence that busted him open near the right eye. With a minute to go in the round, Davis backed away and took a deep breath before eating a head kick from Cauley that connected.

Cauley quickly swarmed in after recognizing that Davis was compromised and caught the former UFC fighter with a booming right hand that sent Davis to the mat. Cauley moved in looking for a finish, but Davis survived the onslaught and nearly cinched a rear-naked choke before the second stanza came to a close.

With the fight potentially tied up, Cauley turned up the head in the third, though that only prompted Davis to go right back to the wrestling, getting Cauley to the canvas near the halfway point of the round. However, Cauley quickly popped back up and separated.

With Davis looking labored, Cauley tried to push the pace, but often found himself tied up by his opponent. Cauley attempted to put together one final flurry, but couldn’t get a clean shot off before the final bell.

Official Result: Sullivan Cauley def. Phil Davis via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)