(This story appears in today’s edition of USA TODAY .) BALTIMORE – UFC light heavyweight standout Phil Davis (19-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) is fighting Anthony Johnson (16-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 172 co-headliner, but he’s got champion Jon Jones on his mind. Frustrated by a less-than-glowing opinion of his career prospects from UFC President Dana White, Davis has taken matters into his own hands by taking aim at Jones (19-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC), who headlines Saturday’s pay-per-view event (10 p.m. ET) opposite Glover Teixeira (22-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) at Baltimore Arena. The UFC has a new fight to promote if Jones and Davis succeed Saturday. This month, White said Davis, 29, a 2008 NCAA Division I wrestling champion at Penn State, needed to get over a mental hump and start acting like a guy who wants a title shot. “He’s not that guy that comes across to me like … ‘I want to be the champ,’” White said at the time
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Phil Davis trying to fight (and talk) his way into next UFC title shot – MMA Junkie