Jon Kopaloff - Getty Images
Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images
Recently UFC president Dana White said that light heavyweight Jon Jones was ready to jump back in the ring as soon as possible and even said that he may want Jones to fight Dan Henderson before fighting Rashad Evans. That did cause a minor stir as, at some point, Jones and Rashad Evans need to get on the same schedule to deliver the fight that fans have wanted to see ever since Jones won the title.
Now, Dana is saying that that they're gunning to make a bout between Jones and Evans as long as Rashad can get by Phil Davis. Via Yahoo! Sports:
"We're working on it now. We're going to obviously see what happens in this Rashad fight at the end of the month. The next fight on Fox, Rashad is fighting (Phil) Davis, so we'll see what happens there," White said on Tuesday.
"If Rashad wins, if Rashad comes out injury free, we'll get the Jon ‘Bones' Jones/Rashad Evans fight going."
This is good news as Jones and Evans being about one month apart on all of their fights is hard to deal with when you're dying to see a fight between the two men.
It would now seem that the ball is fully in Rashad's court. As long as he doesn't slip up against Davis, he will finally get his shot at regaining the title.
0 recs | 54 comments
Barring a one-punch KO
I can’t see him getting through Davis without so much of a scratch on him that he’ll be cleared to fight in time for Jones.
Terra17 - January 11, 2012
I think that he will
Love Davis’ upside, but he’s got nothing for Rashad on the feet, and won’t be able to take him down (and definitely won’t be able to keep him down if he does manage to end up on top). His hope stands with his high kicks, which he has been working hard to develop. If he boxes with Rashad, he’s gonna be staring up at the lights pretty quickly.
Charles Awad - January 11, 2012
Why wouldn't Phil be able to take down and keep down Rashad?
Hell Tito got Rashad down. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Phil Davis won this fight.
HaterSlayer - January 11, 2012
Rashad has always been great at scrambling if he gets taken down. Phil’s yet to really show if his NCAA wrestling has translated into MMA against elite fighters. I’ll never be that guy to say someone has no chance, but I’m liking Rashad a lot here. I think he’s got the footwork to keep Davis at range, and light him up on the feet.
Zachary Kater - January 11, 2012
I think Phil made a great point recently:
They’re both known for their fantastic wrestling, but only one of them has it.
SanFranpsycho - January 11, 2012
Phil's wrestling has translated to MMA the way most people imagined
I fear he spends most of his time studying the other arts, thus neglecting his lineage. And you know Rashad has been drilling TDD. He’s become a lot more serious about his base wrestling, starting with the Rampage fight. Tito, really? That was eons ago, mang..
Charles Awad - January 11, 2012
I meant Rashad vs. Tito II
Tito got Rashad down. Rashad got back up, but Phil Davis is a better wrestler than Tito is.
HaterSlayer - January 11, 2012
me either
Frank Lee - January 11, 2012
Shad vs Phil is going to look a lot like Mo vs Gracie (I'm psychic)
menckenstein - January 11, 2012
KO via Headbutt?
Schwizzles - January 11, 2012
yes, rashad is chinny
inthepipes - January 11, 2012
Dammit.
I really don’t want to root against Phil, but I need to see Rashad fight Jones.
gzl5000 - January 11, 2012
Finally!!!
Personally I think Evans gets the worst beating from Jones ever.
Meek Mill - January 11, 2012
TBH I want to see Rashad laid out COLD. I would laugh my ass off. Not bashing just don’t like Rashad and they way he goes about business.
On the other hand Meek Mill makes a good point. Seeing Jones cave in Rashad’s face with some helbows would be lovely.
DonkeyOatey - January 11, 2012
Whether he gets knocked out or not
He stepped up. Laugh all you want armchair warrior.
Genki Sudo's Choreographer - January 12, 2012
Does this mean we wont get Henderson vs Jones while we wait?
Skoobs - January 11, 2012
I'm favoring Rashad to win but...
there really hasn’t been a fight (outside of the Tito fight) he hasn’t ever really dominated a fight.
He was loosing against Forrest until he landed the KO punch. Machida straight assassinated him, and against Thiago and Rampage he gassed and got put on roller skates after getting ahead on the cards.
So I kinda of feel that Rashad is a good fighter, but somewhat of Fool’s Gold as a top flight champion level fighter. I think he could beat Davis for sure, but it wouldn’t shock me if Rashad gets ahead early, gasses out in round 3-5 and Davis takes a decision win.
T.P. Grant - January 11, 2012
Oh, shit I keep forgetting this will be 5 rounds.
It will also be 10 months since Phil’s fought though. I don’t think that’s going to be doing him any favors.
Also, the Rampage fight, I think people make a bigger deal out of that then it was. I can’t remember the Thiago one really enough to comment on it, but Rashad immediately recovered and ended up finishing the Page fight back in top position. Jackson got dominated that fight.
Zachary Kater - January 11, 2012
I agree he won the Rampage fight
but there was some outcry that the third round of the Sliva fight should have been a 10-8 and that fight should have been a draw.
it all started with this:
and Evans was pretty much done mounting real offense against Silva.
I think Evans is a good fighter but I think his run through the LHW division has been full of so many close calls and breaks in his favor that I’m not 100% sure he can win a championship again.
T.P. Grant - January 11, 2012
It was a clear 10-8 in the 3rd upon rewatch
And Evans mounted almost no offense in rounds 1 or 2 either with his takedowns.
SSreporters - January 11, 2012
I was SCREAMING for Thiago to finish him.
So frustrating. I was one of the 7 people that ordered that fight, the least you could do was not gas. #ThiagoCausesDepression
SanFranpsycho - January 11, 2012
With PRIDE rules Rashad would've been a gonner
Schwizzles - January 11, 2012
well Pride judging rules
the guy who flurried hard in the last 10 minutes tended to win fights…
T.P. Grant - January 11, 2012
Rematch down the road please.
Machiel Van - January 11, 2012
He gassed so pitifully
and started taunting Rashad only to do nothing
such a disappointment
Cunny - January 11, 2012
About Jackson-Evans...
For some reason it has become part of the mythology that Rashad was tagged and spent the rest of that round surviving, when in fact he got right back into the fight after recovering and actually did more in that round than Rampage did (heck, for a significant amount of time he was on top in halfguard unloading on Jackson). Fightmetric has him outstriking Rampage (21-6, 12-6 High Percentage), outgrappling him (2 takedowns to zero, one half guard apiece), and overall taking the round from him. He won that fight- it isn’t even comparable to the Thiago one.
Enmascarado - January 11, 2012
when did I say that? I stated in both fights he was ahead on the cards, got tired later in the fight and got hurt. Against Sliva he got beat on for the rest of the round against Rampage he rebounded.
T.P. Grant - January 11, 2012
Fair enough
Sorry, seen the distinction ignored enough that my knee jerks and kicks a strawman right in the junk.
Enmascarado - January 11, 2012
I think that should be added to your sig
T.P. Grant - January 11, 2012
For the guy that's given me so many good history articles?
Sure thing.
Enmascarado - January 11, 2012
haha I liked it
you are the strawman punisher
T.P. Grant - January 11, 2012
No way the UFC is benching one of their only marquee fighters left for the next 6 months so he can wait for Rashad. No matter what Rashad will say he needs a full training camp a little recovery time blah blah blah. Believe what you want but its just not happening, Jones is ready to go now and they need him active.
nsiegel - January 11, 2012
No way they could be ready to headline Ufc 145 in Montreal. Maybe 146? If not, who can they get to headline those cards?
Hardcharger - January 11, 2012 via mobile
I think they're waiting to see how the fight goes
If Rashad gets injured during then they’re gonna give the shot to Hendo at 145. If Rashad is okay then they’re gonna give it to him at 146.
HaterSlayer - January 11, 2012
Sounds about right.
Hendo would definitley take a fight on 8 weeks notice and I sincerely doubt that Jones is really that far out of fight shape. Shouldn’t be a problem if both the fighters are game.
Schwizzles - January 11, 2012
Whether Hendo realizes it or not, he should probably get the maximum training time in for that fight, otherwise it’s going to be hell. It probably will still be hell, but at least he’d be prepared for the ass-whipping.
Zachary Kater - January 11, 2012
Good call. What are the best guesses for Dos Santos vs Overeem in terms of when that will happen?
Hardcharger - January 11, 2012 via mobile
Key phrase
If UFC 145 or UFC 146 can’t get a decent main event fight booked, expect to hear from the UFC that Rashad suffered an injury and can’t be ready in time, regardless of whether he’s really injured. A phantom hangnail, perhaps. At which time, Jones vs. Henderson could ME either of those events.
Rich Hansen - January 11, 2012
Rashad coming out of a fight not hurt?
I seriously doubt it he alwasys is hurt . Plus I dont think Phil Davis is no pushover I still think Rashad wins the right for a beatdown from Bones but I wouldnt be surprised if Mr. Wonderful pulls it out .
Mega_214 - January 11, 2012
Hahaha
I’m not falling for this again.
MaximumWatermelon - January 11, 2012
That's smart.
Dana has already changed his tune on Jones/Hendo/Davis/Evans a couple times.
MichaelDavidSmith - January 11, 2012
Still waiting on that "payback" for UFC 112 Dana...
Machiel Van - January 11, 2012
Just make the Evans/Bones fight anyway...
So much hype between them, it’s a guaranteed moneymaker. There’s nobody else that even remotely comes close to Bones anyway.
Kid Kimura - January 11, 2012
This could drive Evans to fight conservatively.
Ubernoober - January 11, 2012
That'll be hard to do- I really don't see him getting away from Mr. Wonderful's shot.
SanFranpsycho - January 11, 2012
I know Phil has the better credentials and the size, but I’m not sure he takes down Evans. He’ll have to try, I’m just not sure he can get his hands on him. Evans is faster than Davis.
Machiel Van - January 11, 2012
The layoff is a big factor to me as well. He fought 3 times in 2009, 4 times in 2010, and just once in all of 2011. He’s still early in his career so who knows how it will effect him.
Machiel Van - January 11, 2012
Oh good. Now Bones can’t duck Rashad.
MicahtheCynic - January 11, 2012
There’s no possible way Evans wins AND doesn’t injure himself in that fight… either he injures himself, or he loses. There’s zero chance that he fights Jones next, especially if it’s barely 8 weeks after at the Montreal event.
Shnak - January 11, 2012
I'd much rather see him fight Hendo, honestly.
That fight seems more interesting than Jones/Evans by a country mile.
SanFranpsycho - January 11, 2012
I disagree
All hendo has is a punchers chance. He poses no risk to Jones in any real area. Jon Jones could take him down whenever he feels like it or keep him out of range with his punches and kicks. Henderson would basically be a smaller version of Rampage, but without the TDD. I’d be surprised of Dan lasts a round with Jon Jones. The Rashad/Jones fights will likely be one sided, but at least there is drama behind it and Rashad is faster than Jones.
HaterSlayer - January 11, 2012
very few, if any, fighters use 12 week training camps.
I’m not sure where that idea got started. Barring injury, rashad could do a quick turnaround. It’s also the reason jones can fight 4 times per year. It’s the difference between training 48 weeks/year and 32 weeks/year. Don’t be fooled by made up stories.
tha dude - January 11, 2012 via mobile
It's just guys like Rampage and BJ
who need the extra time to lose the many lbs. of “layoff” fat before any real training can begin.
Machiel Van - January 11, 2012
Look like another great year for Jon Jones..
Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Maybe Phil, Maybe Gustavsson….
Holy sh1t if beats all of them he’ll be the greatest LHW ever
Mohammedini Hussein - January 12, 2012
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