Phil Davis Replaces Chael Sonnen, Meets Forrest Griffin at UFC 155 on Dec. 29 in Las Vegas

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Forrest Griffin and Phil Davis have verbally agreed to square off at UFC 155, promotion officials announced Friday.

Griffin had initially been expected to meet Chael Sonnen at the Dec. 29 event, but Sonnen was pulled from the contest so that he could coach opposite light heavyweight champion Jon Jones on Season 17 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” UFC 155 takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be headlined by a heavyweight championship rematch between Junior dos Santos and Cain Velasquez.

Griffin, 33, has won three of his last four fights. The original “Ultimate Fighter” winner fought twice last year, outpointing former middleweight champion Rich Franklin at UFC 126 before suffering a first-round knockout in his UFC 134 rematch with Mauricio Rua. Most recently, Griffin faced fellow ex-light heavyweight titlist Tito Ortiz in a rubber match at UFC 148, taking a unanimous decision over the Californian on July 7.

Davis, meanwhile, dominated Octagon newcomer Wagner Prado in their UFC 153 rematch after their first fight at UFC on Fox 4 ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye-poke. A former NCAA Division I national champion wrestler at Penn State University, “Mr. Wonderful” overwhelmed Prado with his grappling before submitting the Brazilian with an anaconda choke in the second round of their Oct. 13 meeting in Rio de Janeiro.