Tim Kennedy and Rashad Evans will square off in a preliminary bout at UFC 205. That’s right. The historic card is so loaded that the former light heavyweight champ and the perennial middleweight contender will battle somewhere in the middle of the undercard—a testament to how deep the event truly is.
But despite the casual scheduling of the affair, the matchup represents a critical event for both combatants. Kennedy returns to the Octagon after a two-year layoff, and he is looking to rebound from a controversial loss to Yoel Romero: a defeat that snapped a four-fight win streak.
Evans is hoping a move to the middleweight division will allow him to bounce back after he dropped four of six contests at light heavyweight.
Which fighter will bounce back and return to the win column? The answer to that question depends on the answer to several others, like who wields the stronger wrestling game? Is Evans’ perceived striking edge really so advantageous? How will Kennedy’s layoff impact his performance?
In anticipation of UFC 205, we explore these questions to reveal the likely winner of this middleweight showdown. Read on.