Bellator Light Heavyweight Champion Liam McGeary is preparing for the toughest fight in his career when he defends his title Friday night against Phil Davis, but his opponent has been running a campaign in the middle of election season.
A former UFC mainstay, Davis has taken to Belaltor's Youtube channel for a bit of promotion. Throughout October, Davis and Bellator capitalized on election season by posting "Vote for Phil" videos, giving a more light hearted look at the 205-pound title challenger. While Davis considers himself creative, a campaign wasn't his plan.
“A lot of it is my idea, just being silly and squirrelly. I like to always be doing something. I throw a lot of ideas out there. A lot of them are stupid and you'll never hear about them. But this one wasn't my idea entirely. Sometimes we get talking and brainstorming, so I can't take credit for this one.” Davis told Fightful.com.
McGeary hasn't necessarily taken kindly to this, and says while Davis has been busy creating Youtube content, he's been sharpening his skills to defend his championship.
“All those fun and games are over now. I've had three months to prepare for him. You can make all the jokes you want, but at the end of the day, we're fighting. I'm going in there to hurt him,” McGeary said on a recent media call.
Davis was quick to shoot back, saying that the fun and games have just begun. For McGeary, he's competing for the first time in over a year. For Davis, it's his opportunity to become a light heavyweight champion after 8 years in the sport.
Bellator 163 takes place October 4 from Uncasville, CT with Davis and McGeary headlining. Fightful.com will have full, live coverage.