Rashad Evans finally gets his chance at redemption and prove that he remains a contender at 205 pounds.
It was recently announced that the next installment of UFC on FOX will feature a light heavyweight matchup between Evans and Phil Davis, which is expected to headline the card. Evans and Davis were originally supposed to square off at UFC 133 before a knee injury forced Davis out of the bout.
“Suga” will now be relied upon to carry a free television card in a bout likely filled with title implications.
Evans has had a promising career so far and he looks determined to challenge for the UFC light heavyweight title in the near future. Evans’ relationship with current champion Jon Jones has turned sour ever since the 24-year-old opted to face Evans after winning the UFC light heavyweight title earlier this year.
Evans now has the opportunity to retain his No.1 contender status with a victory over Davis.
The fact that the UFC is deciding to promote Evans in the main event shows they are confident in his image and ability to market the fight and potentially emerge as the next title contender in the light heavyweight division. Evans has widely been regarded as one of the best competitors at 205 pounds for the past couple years, however, injuries have hindered his chances to compete for a title shot.
Should he get past Davis, Evans will face the winner of UFC 140’s main event between Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida. Either bout featuring Evans would be intriguing, however the more compelling and anticipated matchup is between Evans and Jones. The former teammates’ rivalry would certainly draw a lot of viewers and heighten the popularity of both fighters.
Evans’ destiny is firmly in his control and a victory over Davis will direct him to a title shot, which he has desperately been seeking for a while. Otherwise, a loss would only further himself down the rankings and be considered a huge disappointment.
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