Former UFC champion Rashad Evans completed his MMA comeback with an impressive win over Gabriel Checco at Eagle FC 44.
Evans made his triumphant return to the cage and was searching for his first win in nine years in MMA. Before retiring from the UFC, he lost five-straight fights and many questioned whether or not we would ever see Evans compete again.
Evans proved the doubters wrong and looked in great shape despite the lengthy layoff. He used his signature wrestling to overwhelm Checco and control the pace of the fight.
Checco had Evans in trouble on a few different occasions during the bout. He nearly submitted him with a few leg lock attempts, but Evans was able to reverse position into a crucifix.
There weren’t a whole lot of striking exchanges during the fight, with most of the bout taking place in the grappling department. After three rounds, Evans earned the unanimous decision on the judges’ scorecards.
Evans, a UFC Hall of Famer, won the UFC light heavyweight championship by knocking out Forrest Griffin at UFC 92. He would go on to fight most of the elite talent in the light heavyweight division and earn wins over the likes of Rampage Jackson, Chael Sonnen, and Dan Henderson.
It’s unclear whether or not Evans will return to the cage, but he sounded cautiously optimistic in his post-fight interview. He seems like a new version of himself and is having fun competing once again.
Before fighting Evans, Checco had fought in smaller promotions such as LFA and FFC. He’s also competed in Submission Underground and enjoyed some success in grappling.
Evans’ win in his return is already one of the best stories of 2022 as MMA looks to reel in another year of nonstop action.
Check out the highlights from Evans vs. Checco at Eagle FC 44.
Rashad Evans Vs. Gabriel Checco Highlights
Welcome back, @SugaRashadEvans
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— Eagle Fight Club (@EagleFightClub) January 29, 2022
