In a battle of former champions, Phil Davis bested Lyoto Machida for the second time.
Davis defeated Machida via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) in the main event of Bellator 245 on Friday at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Davis, a former Bellator light heavyweight champion, previously beat Machida, an ex-UFC titleholder, via unanimous decision in the Octagon in 2013.
Friday's rematch took place entirely in the stand-up department and Davis was the more effective striker. Machida, who uses a karate style and generally looks for counters, constantly feinted but struggled to land any meaningful offense.
Davis didn't do a ton of damage himself in what was a rather lackluster affair, but "Mr. Wonderful" was more active and scored at a higher rate. Davis, who has a wrestling base, tried to take Machida down late in the second round, but the Brazilian legend managed to stay upright.
Machida moved forward late in the third round, seemingly looking to land something big, but Davis grabbed hold of him until the end of the fight.
With the victory, the 35-year-old extended his winning streak to three.
Machida, 42, has lost two in a row.
