Phil Davis Planning a Late 2011 Return to the Octagon

(“Tell us again how you chased down that robber and held him until the cops came. That was awesome.”)

An undisclosed injury he is currently rehabbing coupled with a desire to get bigger, better, stronger and faster the next time he steps into the Octagon has prompted UFC light heavyweight prospect Phil Davis to take a brief hiatus from fighting until late 2011.

“Mr. Wonderful” told MMAJunkie recently that besides the nagging injury he is nursing, the other reason why he is stepping away from competing for the time being is to take a look at his last performance — a win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira last month at UFC Fight Night: Nogueira vs. Davis — and figure out how he could have performed better.

“I really want to make some huge gains inside the gym before I step back in. I’m ready to take one step back,” Davis said. “I’ve got three steps ahead of me. I’ve got one step back, then two forward. That might sound like the cha-cha. But pow – there it is.”

Way to make us all look like underachievers, Phil.

That’s not to say Davis wasn’t happy to beat a decorated veteran like Nogueira.

“I’m satisfied. I knew this one would be a big one, but more than anything, I’m just glad to compete against a guy that I respected and looked up to for so long,” he explained.

PD seems to be letting negative comments by his detractors (who overlook the fact that the 26-year-old 9-0 fighter has only been competing for three years) like “He’s overrated,” “He got lucky,” or, “He sucks,” roll right off his back, but the fact that he addresses them points to the fact that they’re in his head to some degree.

“I’ve admitted: Yeah, I’m green,” Davis joked. “I don’t know what I’m doing, guys. You got me.”

The win over Lil’ Nog’ could be a ticket to a title shot in the not-too-distant future, considering Ryan Bader was granted a number one contender match-up with Jon Jones when he beat Nogueira last year. If he wins his next fight against a fellow contender like Lyoto Machida, Quinton Jackson, or the winner of Mauricio Rua-Forrest Griffin we could see Mr. Wonderful fight for UFC gold early next year.