Remove all doubt of DC’s much debated plans of dropping down to make a serious run at the light heavyweight title, now that he’s officially taking on one of the divisions best in his new weight class at UFC 170 on February 22nd in Vegas, and all in a main event which means his cardio may be tested over five rounds.
That’s a statement. With this course being the most direct route to the title, it’s not the easiest. Rashad Evans is well rounded, stronger than most in his division, very fast on his feet, and arguably the quickest in the heavier weight classes when transitioning from standing to the ground.
Neither man really loses any rounds these days as well, plus with their combined championship exploits at the highest level of the sport, this one has massive implications in the UFC’s light heavyweight division.
DC is the least tested out of the two opponents with most of his exploits heralding out of former mid-tier MMA promotion in Strikeforce, and then two recent wins against Frank Mir at UFC on FOX 7 and Roy Nelson at UFC 166. He’s also never stepped foot inside the cage at 205. That’s something else that will factor in to a fair amount of criticism leading in to a fight with one of the longtime best at that weight.
So while everyone is wondering what DC is capable of accomplishing in his young career, the other side of that coin is the burning question of what Rashad Evans has left to offer in his career as well. They both might be 34 years old, but where DC has only fought twice in the Octagon, Evans has been stepping in to the cage since the second TUF show back in 2005.
Since winning TUF 2, Evans has climbed the ranks and captured the light heavyweight crown in the process. His only three career losses include the names of two of the best in our generation at the hands of Lyoto Machida, where he lost his title at UFC 98 in 2009, and Jon Jones who he attempted to take the title back from at UFC 145.
An awkward decision loss to Antonio Rogerio Nogueira at UFC 156 seemed to wake him up to the reality that he needed to either walk away from the sport all together, or reach down and find the killer inside that brought him this far to begin with.
Since decisioning Dan Henderson at UFC 161 and Chael Sonnen at UFC 167, he’s closing in on a title shot once again. With DC harnessing a lot of momentum and hype at the moment, this is a very intriguing opportunity for the man who many feel is one of the most under rated contenders in the sport these days.
Step back for a moment and realize that the undefeated Daniel Cormier had already secured the #2 spot in the heavyweight division with the combination of the Strikeforce heavyweight Grand Prix championship belt and two wins against ranked opponents, and was staring a guaranteed a title shot against Cain Velasquez right in the eye, all before deciding to drop weight out of respect for his friendship with the champ in the heavier, and albeit more dangerous division.
Now the light heavyweights have been getting pushed around at ease by one man in Jon Jones over the past few years. Anyone with a strong wrestling pedigree such as DC’s, combined with his power in both hands, and his impressive current status of enjoying the reality of beating bigger competition in his career, a fight between these two would already set the stage for serious talks of a possible upset at the top of the 205lb hill. Combined with his impressive 13-0 record, DC’s also been flawless as an analyst on the FOX Sports 1 panel for most UFC fight card coverage these days.
With much to win, there’s definitely more to lose at this point for Cormier. Let me put it this way: With many questions unanswered, a lot will be assumed whether he wins or loses at UFC 170. If he drops even a decision loss to Evans, that may seal his fate in the perspective of the general masses that he isn’t capable of hanging with a top level light heavyweight contender. Most likely people would simply write him off as a potential challenger anytime soon.
Regardless, it looks like whomever wins at UFC 170, the victor will have to wait their turn until Glover Teixeira and Alexander Gustafsson receive well deserved matches against the current champion and pound for pound great in Jonny “Bones” Jones.