Traveling to the windy city on Saturday January 28th, The UFC will be live and free for the second time on FOX and is not coming short with amazing fights for the causal and hardcore fan alike. Featuring three bouts to be aired on the national broadcast, two middleweights will pave the way for a light heavyweight showdown with title implications in the balance for the victor. “Sugar” Rashad Evans (16-1-1) will look to come back from injury and earn another opportunity to reclaim his title; standing in front of him is the undefeated wrestler, Phil “Mr. Wonderful” Davis (9-0) who is also fighting for the first time since his March 2011 decision win over Antonio Rogerio Nougeira.
Wrestling is the base for both men as Evans won the Junior College National Championship in 2000 (165 lbs) and focuses on his strength while becoming better in every aspect of the game, “I know what my strength is, wrestling; that’s the bread and butter, it helped get me here and is my best tool but I am a mixed martial artist, working on everything, you know,” said Evans recently at the UFC conference call for the event. Possessing the knockout power in his hands and feet, he can win the striking exchange if the bout stays standing up. Not known to many fans, the former light heavyweight champion also has a legitimate ground game as he received his black belt from Rolles Gracie in 2010.
Debuting in February 2010, Phil Davis gained UFC notoriety with a decision victory over former WEC champion, Brian Stann. Winning his next four fights (two by submission, two by decision) the Alliance MMA fighter has become better each time and feels in the right position at his career, fighting for title contendership in his tenth professional bout, “I feel like everything is good right now. I have done what it takes to get here and don’t feel rushed or intimidated by fighting Rashad,” said Davis. An NCAA Division 1 champion from Penn State, Davis is ready for Evans to take the shot and sprawl, keeping the bout on the feet and exchange blows.
After the dust settles and Zuffa leaves Chicago, what will happen for either man in their win or loss? Rashad Evans is without a doubt the next in line for UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones with a win this weekend. Learning his lesson of sitting out to wait for opponents, having a friend turn into enemies and just bad luck with injuries have plagued the TUF 2 winner for almost two years. Walking into the United Center on Saturday will be the culmination of all the adversity he has been through and time for him to prove fans and critics wrong. A loss however does not hurt him either. He is still ranked the number two light heavyweight in the world and there are plenty of opponents on the roster to challenge him on their respective title paths.
Phil Davis is a winner in the outcome of victory as well as defeat in this main event. Winning puts him a fight away if not directly in line for a meeting with the champion, where a loss teaches him about the holes in his game and he is young enough to learn, adapt and improve to become better in his career. Building a foundation with his team consisting of UFC champion Dominick Cruz, Travis Browne and coach Lloyd Irvin have all helped mold him into the wonderful fighter he has shown to be over the past few years.
UFC on FOX: Evans vs. Davis will air live from the United Center in Chicago, IL this Saturday, January 28th at 8:00pm EST/ 5:00pm PST on the FOX network. Check all local listings/ provider info for broadcast information.
