If it's glorified high-school drama between champion Jon Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Rashad Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC), then it's a mutual-admiration society between Evans and rising contender Phil Davis (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC).There may be a single common denominator involved, but there's a stark contrast between the two relationships that have been on full display in recent weeks – ones available for public dissection and consumption.
The latter pairing – the much more tempered dynamic – happens to be the main event of August's UFC 133 event. It carries with it major title implications. What it doesn't carry is any indication it will amass any sort of bad blood over the next two months.
The heat generated from the Jones and Evans saga does not appear to have bled over to Davis in any way, shape or form. It seems to have fizzled out somewhere amid the shadow of the feud.
It's been full speed ahead for the 26-year-old Davis since he set foot in the UFC in 2010. He walked into the organization with an unblemished record on the regional circuit and a shiny resume full of wrestling accolades accumulated during his time at Penn State University.
He found success early and often inside the octagon. Over a span of 13 months, he collected five wins over formidable opponents Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Rodney Wallace, Tim Boetsch and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.
For his efforts, Davis has firmly planted himself "in the mix" at the top end of the light-heavyweight division (to borrow one of UFC President Dana White's most-overused phrases).
He's made a swift ascension through the belly of the beast in one of the most talent-laden and turnover-prone divisions at its peak.
In the four years since Chuck Liddell's title reign, the belt has changed hands an astounding six times with only two collective title defenses. Parity has been the norm.
While Davis has forged a clean path so far, he will continue to swim with sharks for the foreseeable future. It comes with the territory. This is breaking news to no one.
"As early as Abu Dhabi (UFC 112), my second fight in, someone asked me if I'm ready for the title," Davis recently told MMAjunkie.com Radio (www.mmajunkie.com/radio). "'Ready for the title?' What? What title? It has all come along so fast."
After his most recent win over Nogueira in March, the plan was for some much-needed downtime to allow his body to heal and continue to evolve in the gym.
That idea was instantly scrapped when the Harrisburg, Pa. native was offered the chance to headline at UFC 133 in nearby Philadelphia against former champion Evans.
"I was seriously wanting to take some time off," Davis said. "You just can't pass up opportunities. If somebody said, 'Do you want a promotion?' You can't pass that up. You have got to be ready to go. I said, 'Yep, I'll take it.'
"Jon Jones is where he is right now because of good timing and always being ready to go. I don't have the luxury to say no."
With Jones waiting in the wings while his injured hand heals, the UFC could decide to go any number of ways to determine his next challenger.
Fresh off his dominating, yet lackluster, UFC 130 win over Matt Hamill, Quinton "Rampage" Jackson (32-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is likely the current leader in the clubhouse depending on the status of his own injured hand.
Lyoto Machida (16-2 MMA, 8-2 UFC) also could enter the fray as he currently does not have a fight scheduled following his recent highlight-reel knockout win over Randy Couture at UFC 129.
A third option would be to have Jones simply wait to fight the winner of Davis vs. Evans, though Davis may still be one more win away at that point.
It's a logjam, and Davis is trying to keep things in perspective while he focuses on the task at hand.
"If I beat him (Evans), I will be in the mix in the big picture," he said. "I have no idea really when I'll get a title shot. Winning this fight will probably put me in the neighborhood of another fight, another win away."
While Davis and Evans may be an intriguing matchup it has taken a backseat to the Jones and Evans fiasco.
The actual genesis of the feud began in March when Jones filled in for his injured teammate Evans in the title fight against Maurico "Shogun" Rua, which Jones won in convincing fashion.
Jones then was asked whether or not he would accept a fight from No. 1 contender Evans, to which he stated he wouldn't turn it down if UFC president Dana White proposed it to him.
The rhetoric caught Evans, a loyal friend and teammate at Greg Jackson's camp in New Mexico, completely off guard. He was not pleased, to say the least.
The Jones and Evans fight eventually was booked for UFC 133, which prompted Evans to leave Jackson's in order to avoid having to train at the same facility – with the same coaches and the same training partners. The inevitable fallout with Jackson himself also commenced.
A hand injury then forced Jones to withdraw from the fight with Evans, which prompted a public war of words between the pair with no expiration date in sight.
Davis, who took Jones' spot in the matchup without even flinching, has been rather mystified by it all.
"I don't know who is right and who is wrong," Davis said. "It's like 'Days of Our Lives,' man. It really is. It's like a soap opera. Only thing is – somebody needs to die and come back and then it would be legit.
"I like them both. I'll leave it at that."
Evans now has a laundry list of squabbles attached to his name, from Jones and Greg Jackson to his run-ins with Quinton "Rampage" Jackson during filming of season 10 of "The Ultimate Fighter" and in the weeks that preceded their fight at UFC 114, which Evans won by unanimous decision.
Whether it's organic or by design (or a little of both), fans don't quite know how to reconcile Evans' combative personality traits with his fun-loving, charismatic side. For what it's worth, he was a psychology major at Michigan State University.
Evans' double-barreled demeanor is what makes him a polarizing figure and keeps eyeballs glued to his actions outside the cage and, more importantly, to his fights.
This does not appear to be the case as his fight with Davis approaches. There's no sign of public bantering. No Twitter wars. No name-calling in interviews. No nothing.
In fact, it's quite the opposite. They appear to have a pretty friendly relationship founded on mutual respect.
This was on full display when Davis was a recent in-studio guest in Las Vegas for the 1,000th episode of MMAjunkie.com Radio.
At one point during Davis' interview, a caller with the handle "Michael from Chicago" and a very deep voice phoned in to speak directly to him.
"Michael" proceeded to ask Davis how he was doing and told him to "get his game up" because he had seen Evans in the gym and he was looking extremely good.
After a couple minutes, everyone figured out it was actually "Rashad from Chicago" on the line, as in Rashad Evans.
Davis quickly jabbed back, teasing Evans about a photograph that was used on a recent MMA television show that showed him getting taken down by a Penn State wrestler in college.
This led to an Evans crack regarding Davis' physique and how he appears as if he's wearing shoulder pads at all times.
It was the kind of exchange you might see at a local bar between friends watching a ballgame over a few beers.
It's also the kind of tame, forgettable back-and-forth that is easily whitewashed in the circle of MMA fandom that craves sexy narratives and a good reason to invest time and money into a future pay-per-view.
As of right now, the interest level for Davis and Evans appears to be minor with no sign of gaining momentum. There's no good vs. evil, no proverbial protagonist pitted opposite antagonist that we've grown accustomed to recently when Evans is involved in a high-profile fight.
The kinship Davis and Evans have developed – some sort of Big Ten wrestling bond (or whatever) – appears to be genuine and here to stay.
Their name values alone, coupled with the supporting fights on the UFC 133 card, will have to sell the event.
Davis and Evans couldn't generate "Jones and Evans heat" or "Rampage and Evans heat" if they tried. They can't help it.
And, it's oddly refreshing.
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