Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will make his MMA return against Brazilian bruiser Gabriel Checco as part of the upcoming Eagle FC event on Jan. 28 from inside the FLX Arena in Miami, Florida.
That’s according to a report from ESPN.
Evans, 42, retired from active competition back in late 2018, a decision that came on the heels of a five-fight losing streak. “Sugar” (19-8-1) was expected to cross over to the “sweet science” at some point in 2022; however, a more lucrative deal surfaced with Eagle FC.
As for the 35 year-old Checco (12-5), he’s remained fairly active over the last couple of years. “Zangief” was last seen capturing a technical knockout victory over Simon Marini as part of the XMMA 3: “Vice City” event last October in “The Sunshine State.”
Their placement in the Jan. 28 lineup has yet to be revealed.
This will mark the stateside debut of Eagle FC, promoted by former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and is expected to feature veteran strikers Tyrone Spong and Sergei Kharitonov in the UFC Fight Pass main event.
For much more on Eagle FC including its newly-implemented weight classes click here.