Alfie Davis knows Usman Nurmagomedov is undefeated for a reason, but he doesn't think the hype is warranted.

Davis (20-5-1) will get a chance to hand Nurmagomedov (20-0) his first career loss on Feb. 7 when he challenges for the lightweight title in the PFL: Road to Dubai main event at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai (ESPN Unlimited).

Both men are extremely confident heading into the bout, with Nurmagomedov promising a finish and Davis holding the utmost belief he can solve the riddle. He thinks Nurmagomedov's two-fight series with Paul Hughes showed flaws in his game, and he intends to capitalize on those and make it definitive.

"Some of the stuff I've been reading that they think Usman will wipe the floor with Paul Hughes – that's not the case at all," Davis told MMA Junkie Radio. "I think both fights were very competitive, and it showed a lot of holes in his game. In saying that, Paul Hughes is very good also, so the fact he made him do that is a bad thing. But it's exposed elements of his game that have never been exposed before, and things I can definitely exploit."

One of the big buttons Davis intends to push on is forcing Nurmagomedov to respond to pressure. He has seen traits that show the champ's resiliency is something to question.

Nurmagomedov told MMA Junkie that "England don't have wrestling," and Davis isn't going to be able to hang with him in wrestling or grappling situations, but the challenger has a vastly different perspective heading into fight night.

"I've got a lot to thank for Paul Hughes," Davis said. "He exposed a lot of Usman's weaknesses and showed his wrestling is not that good. It's decent, but he's not got an amazing shot. He's more of a grappler. He showed that his striking is very flakey. But I think the bigger thing the first fight showed, then a bit in the second, is that Usman flakes.

"When the fire puts on him, he reminds me of someone that's been given everything all their life. He's like a posh boy. He's the boy that's been given everything. He comes from this background where his uncle has given him all these skills, but when sh*t hits the fan, and you have to use your mentality, he flakes."

Davis, 33, admits he was mulling retirement before he went on a significant run in 2025 to capture the PFL World Tournament lightweight crown. Wins over Clay Collard, Brent Primus and Nurmagomedov's teammate, Gadzhi Rabadanov, proved that this is still very much a career worth pursuing, and he now has the financial means to do so.

With stability and self-belief at an all-time high, "The Axe Man" has every intention of pulling off another upset and proving that he, not Nurmagomedov, belongs in the conversation among the best in the world at 155 pounds.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alfie Davis: 'Posh boy' Usman Nurmagomedov 'flakes' under pressure