Phil Davis and Liam McGeary have different outcomes in mind for their upcoming Bellator 220 encounter. They do agree on one thing, though: Neither man expects this fight to look like the one they had more than two years ago.

McGeary (13-3 MMA, 10-3 BMMA) came into their first encounter, at Bellator 163, holding an unbeaten professional MMA record and the promotion’s 205-pound title. He left with neither, after the judges gave Davis (19-5 MMA, 6-2 BMMA) the unanimous nod.

But McGeary, who came into the match off a 14-month layoff and surgery, recently told MMA Junkie Radio that he’s now a “much better” fighter than he was then. And he, predictably, envisions a different outcome this time around.

Davis, of course, had a better night the first time they met. But he is also expecting a different McGeary to show up on Saturday.

“I take it as a completely new matchup, a completely new opponent,” Davis recently told MMA Junkie. “And the reason why is because, especially at rematches, guys come out and they want to show you their new stuff. They want to show you the stuff they’ve been working on to get you back. And they want to, they want to go back to all their faults on the first fight and go through all the ‘what ifs.’ The ‘if I had done this, I would have gotten the takedown. If I had done this, then I could have slept and submitted him.’

“So there’s going to be a lot of that stuff. But, truthfully, I just expect a brand new fight. I don’t expect this fight is going to look anything like the last fight, outside the fact that I’m going to be equally as dominant and I’m still going to win.”

Bellator 220 takes place Saturday at SAP Center in San Jose, Calif. The main card streams on DAZN following prelims on MMA Junkie.

Although Davis had his moments on the feet when they first met, the bout ended up being determined on the ground. This time, though, Davis says he’s not really expecting as much of a grappling match, and if McGeary is expecting him to just come out and try to take him down, he might be in for a surprise.

“Truth be told, that was never my intention the first fight, and it’s not my intention the second fight,” Davis said. “(My goal is to) come out and beat him up. If he falls down, I’ll take him down and submit him.”

Both fighters had some momentum behind them the first time they met, but this time McGeary has the edge there, having recently snapped a two-fight skid with a knockout win over Muhammed Lawal. Davis, in turn, comes off a split-decision loss to 26-year-old Russian up-and-comer Vadim Nemkov.

Since Ryan Bader beat him, also via split decision, to claim the belt he’d earned from McGeary, Davis has made no secret of his desire to re-claim his majesty. He’d been making a good case for himself, with back-to-back wins over Leo Leite and Linton Vassell, before Nemkov came along to spoil his plans.

The timing could have made this loss a particularly bitter one for the ex-champ. But Davis, who has yet to be finished in his pro MMA career, doesn’t seem all that broken up about the narrow call, even if he didn’t necessarily agree with it.

“All I’ve had in my career were losses where I can look back and learn,” Davis said. “I thank God I haven’t had a loss where you get knocked out in like 10 seconds and you’re like, ‘I don’t know, was that guy good or did he just catch me?’ Every single time, I felt like I’ve lost I feel like I was able to take something from that fight. What I can gather from that last fight, it’s just – I took Vadim serious and I really just got a late start. I was just really more hesitant and more cautious than I should have been.

“I believe I was the better fighter. I do believe it was a close fight, and I respect the judges’ decision, and if I had a chance to do it again, I’d definitely be more aggressive in there and make sure that I got the W.”

Besides, Davis’ chances of becoming champion again aren’t necessarily gone. Bellator’s light heavyweight division isn’t all that deep, after all, and a second win over a fellow former champion could be just the thing to at least put him back in the conversation.

But Davis, himself, isn’t making any bold predictions on that front.

“I have made it perfectly clear that I will fight anybody, any time, on relatively short notice,” Davis said. “So where that puts me in the division? I’m not really sure. I’m not sure where he puts Nemkov. He’s either in a spot where he needs to fight for the title or I don’t know who he fights, either. I’m back in line. I’m back in line, you know.”

That title line may get a little complicated after June 14, when Lyoto Machida is scheduled to meet Chael Sonnen at Bellator 222. Machida, who’s coming back to the division he once ruled after a long middleweight stint, has history with champ Bader and believes a fourth straight win would be enough to grant him the shot. Sonnen happens to carry the same hope.

We’ll see how that pans out when it comes to the title picture. But, regardless, it’s a fight Davis is interested in watching as a spectator.

“I mean, it’s ‘The Dragon’ we’re talking about,” Davis said. “Obviously, I think a guy like Machida can fight until he’s 50. His style, his techniques, he could honestly fight until he’s old. I think he wins this fight, and I’m a huge Chael Sonnen fan. I just don’t think Chael Sonnen is going to be able to get his hands on Machida and take him down and beat him up the way he wants to. Machida is very elusive and very quick on his feet, so I give him the nod on that fight.”

And if a rematch with Machida, whom Davis beat via decision back in 2013, happens to be on the horizon for him?

“I’m always down to fight ‘The Dragon,’” Davis said. “He’s one of those guys, he’s a great fighter and he was a great champion. Every time I get to share a cage with him, I’m all about it.”

For more on Bellator 220, check out the Rumors section of the site.