Rashad Evans’ first fight in nearly two years didn’t quite go to plan, as he failed to score much in the way of effective offense through three rounds in a loss to Ryan Bader at UFC 192.
The bout served as the co-main event of the pay-per-view card in Houston, and it was controlled by Bader from the outset. The Ultimate Fighter season eight winner picked up his fifth straight win in the UFC’s light heavyweight division with a smart striking performance, and he didn’t allow Evans to connect on much during the 15-minute bout.
In addition to Bader proving his striking superior during the bout, he sprinkled in some takedowns as well, and just kept the pressure on Evans to keep control of the fight. For Evans, it’s back to the drawing board to figure out whether he’ll try to fight again after the loss, while Bader hopes for a No. 1 contender fight next with Jon Jones returning to the title picture sooner than later.
[Rashad Evans art by Grant Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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