(Let’s just hope this fight doesn’t affect their friendship.)
Sources have confirmed to ESPN.com that a light-heavyweight meeting between former champion Rashad Evans and undefeated contender Phil Davis is slated to headline the UFC’s return to FOX, which will take place January 28th at the United Center in Chicago. The two fighters were originally supposed to meet at UFC 133 in August, but Davis was forced to withdraw due to a knee injury.
Evans is currently riding a three-fight win streak, including decisions over Thiago Silva and Quinton Jackson, and a second-round TKO of Tito Ortiz, who came in as Davis’s short-notice injury replacement. Davis has gone 5-0 in the Octagon, most recently out-pointing Antonio Rogerio Nogueira in March. You’d have to assume that if Evans manages to deal “Mr. Wonderful” his first loss, he’ll be awarded a title shot against the winner of Jones vs. Machida — but considering Suga’s run of bad luck when it comes to that sort of thing, anything’s possible.
In other UFC on FOX 2 booking news…
A heavyweight bout between Mike Russow and Jon Olav Einemo has been added to the card. Russow carries a spotless 3-0 record in the UFC — most recently defeating Jon Madesen by doctor’s stoppage TKO — and is riding a ten-fight win streak overall. He was supposed to return against Dave Herman at UFC 136, until Herman popped positive for marijuana.
Coincidentally, Einemo lost his UFC debut to Herman in June, and his only win in the last five years came at a show in Bosnia that’s not even recognized by MMA databases. In other words, Russow vs. Einemo is a bit of a squash match; if Russow was hoping for a step up in competition for his next outing, this ain’t it.