From the moment Phil Davis signed with Bellator MMA in April 2015, anything short of a light heavyweight title would have been viewed as a disappointment.
Eighteen months later, Davis has lived up to those expectations.
Davis (17-3) became the fifth 205-pound champion in Bellator history on Friday after he dominated Liam McGeary in a five-round fight inside Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. The championship bout headlined Bellator 163.
A former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion, Davis repeatedly took McGeary (11-1) to the floor, where he easily controlled position, scored points and safely cut through McGeary's notoriously dangerous guard. The judges scored it unanimously for Davis: 50-45, 50-44 and 50-43.
"When you have a good jiu-jitsu fighter, the hardest thing is passing their guard," Davis said. "As soon as you touch the mat, your first reaction can determine the entire roll. That was a key in my training camp, being that first move on the mat."
A former UFC contender, Davis has cruised to a 4-0 Bellator record. He picked up two victories in a single night last September before picking up a third win over Muhammed "King Mo" Lawal in May.
Although he did not finish McGeary, his latest win has to be considered one of the most one-sided performances of his career. He seized momentum early on, clipping McGeary with a left hook that appeared to have him staggered. He followed with a takedown moments later.
Really, the rest of the fight could be covered in one blanket description: Davis working into top position, regularly into mount, and seeking submissions, and ground-and-pound. He cut McGeary over the left brow with an elbow in the fourth round and threatened several times with an armlock.
McGeary, who trains out of New York, looked bewildered throughout the 25 minutes and said as much afterward.
"I lost my belt to a wrestler," McGeary said. "Phil Davis did what Phil Davis does. Unfortunately, I got caught in his traps. I'll definitely be back, that's for sure. I'm not going to let that one slip by. I'll be back fighting for that belt, hopefully against him."
Ward sinks Awad in firefight
Former middleweight title contender Brennan Ward grabbed his ninth career knockout, dropping Saad Awad at 1:26 of the first round of a welterweight bout.
Ward (14-4) hurt Awad along the fence and then got the better of a long exchange, in which both guys threw caution to the wind and let their hands go.
The finishing shot was a left hook, which put Awad (9-10) down for the count. According to Ward, the physical exchange came shortly after a verbal one between the two fighters, as they were clinched up in the early going.
"He said, 'You want to wrestle or you want to bang?'" Ward revealed after the fight. "I said, 'Let's f---ing bang.'"
Ward, who fights out of Connecticut, is now 5-1 since dropping to the welterweight division. Awad dropped to 1-3 in his past four contests.
Kharitonov goes down early in shocking Bellator debut
Anything can happen in MMA. Especially Bellator heavyweight MMA.
One of the most unpredictable divisions in the sport produced another shocker, as the virtually unknown Californian Javy Ayala knocked out Sergei Kharitonov with a fastball overhand right 16 seconds into the opening round.
A veteran out of Russia, Kharitonov (23-6) made his Bellator debut. He has fought for Bellator president Scott Coker previously under the Strikeforce banner and holds wins over the likes of Alistair Overeem, Fabricio Werdum and Pedro Rizzo.
It's possible he might have lacked some respect for Ayala (10-5), as he marched straight forward on the opening bell and looked determined to put him away early. He defended an early takedown but allowed the right hand to get through just moments later.
Kharitonov, 36, hadn't fought since July 2016. The loss snaps a five-fight win streak.
Wrestling super prospect Ruth scores TKO in MMA debut
Three-time NCAA Division I national wrestling champion Ed Ruth (1-0) scored a first-round TKO in his long-awaited MMA debut.
Ruth, 26, was dropped by an early right hand from Dustin Collins-Miles (0-1), but he regrouped and slammed his opponent to the floor.
From there it was easy work, as the Fresno-based middleweight rode Collins-Miles from the back and threw hard punches until the bout was stopped at the 3:19 mark. Ruth intends to fight at 185 pounds, but his debut took place at a 192-pound catchweight.
Heavyweight newcomer Fortune wins debut
In addition to Ruth, 26-year-old heavyweight Tyrell Fortune also won his MMA debut by TKO in the first round.
A former two-time NCAA Division II national champion and recent Olympic hopeful, Fortune took an overmatched Cody Miskell to the floor and hammered him with punches and knees to the body until referee John McCarthy mercifully called it off. The finish came at the 2:22 mark.
Fortune started his MMA career with the Blackzilians in South Florida, but he now trains out of Arizona.