This is a really tough spot because I think Mike is the overall better fighter. I think his BJJ and striking is better, but his wrestling is not and he does fade. I also need to decide if I think the judges will have some regional bias. I think I am going to pick Aliev here because the wrestling will control where this fight goes. We have seen Mike Davis stuck on his back before, both in the Burns and Ziam fights. I've also seen Aliev have zero issues with BJJ first guys like Joe Solecki. So Aliev is the pick, but this will be razor thin.

Nurullo Aliev

Nurullo Aliev is a dominant wrestler who has been competing his entire life. He has a forward pressure wrestling style where he is constantly threatening, then shooting and reshooting. He has decent striking as well where he is light on his feet and pumps a jab to work in for takedowns. His takedowns are powerful and relentless but aren't the fastest. He is coming off the decision win over Shem Rock where he had him rocked on the feet what felt like 50 times.

Mike Davis

Mike Davis is a nasty grappler with fast athletic striking and real power. His kicks are incredible and he will double tap the body then head before putting the foot back on the mat. Outside of the paint fume loss to Fares Ziam, he has shown that he's incredibly well rounded. He can fade as fights go on, but he does have a great chin. He is coming off the KO wi nover Mitch Ramirez where he slowed, but took over the striking.