Mike Davis rips UFC matchmakers after grappling-heavy loss

Lightweight Mike Davis went on an expletive-laden social media tirade after dropping a unanimous decision to unbeaten grappler Nurullo Aliev at UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

Aliev, now 12-0 as a pro, controlled Davis on the mat for the bulk of three rounds in a prelim bout that saw little striking and no momentum shifts. Davis, who has lost two of his last three, took to Instagram afterward to vent his frustration with the promotion's matchmaking philosophy.

Davis questions UFC's stance on grapple-heavy fights

In a video posted to his Instagram, Davis criticized the promotion for continuing to book wrestlers who rely on positional control. He accused Aliev of inflicting no damage and making no meaningful attempts to advance position or finish the fight. MMA Mania first reported the post, in which Davis used multiple expletives to describe the style and questioned why he remains on prelim cards despite a recent four-fight winning streak against what he called actual fighters.

Davis acknowledged the loss was legitimate but said Aliev did nothing to merit a decision win beyond clinging to top position. He contrasted his own grappling performance in a previous bout against Fares Ziam, where he said he actively advanced and created action, with Aliev's approach on Saturday.

The California native has now gone 1-2 since that four-fight run and faces an uncertain path forward at 155 pounds. No word yet on when or against whom Davis will compete next.

Photo: loganrickert / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Original reporting:

• mmamania.com — Video! Mike Davis Throws Post-Fight Temper Tantrum After UFC Abu Dhabi Loss | MMA Mania