From UK Telepraph:
After all the hype, the fight.
And it failed to live up to the hype, in truth, laced in bathos as two fighters stuck to their guns and played to their strengths. No one can blame Rashad Evans for thinking his way through this contest, and avoiding Rampage Jackson’s heavy hands. The problem was that it did not create a spectacle at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, in keeping with the hyperbole which had preceded it.
It was tactical, technical. It was a battle, but not in the toe-to-toe manner that many had hoped after the two men had been at each other for months. But the tactical ploys came mainly from Rashad. Indeed, Evans employed his game plan to such good effect, Jackson looked one-dimensional for long periods of the fight, struggling to find his range against the bobbing, weaving, ducking and diving agility of Evans.
Rampage wanted an old-fashioned tear-up. So did the sell-out crowd. But that is not what they got. If they were booing Rashad before the contest, they were hissing him afterwards. That said, no one can take away the fact that he nullified Jackson, took him to the ground, put him up against the wall of the Octagon, and, in the opening salvoes, hit his opponent with a crisp overhead right hand that sent him sprawling off balance.
Rashad won the first two rounds clearly. Rampage Jackson’s corner believed so, too, telling theitr man he needed a knockout as he prepared, on his stool, for the third period. Indeed, Rampage should have gone for broke in the third, after clipping Rashad across the top of the head and scrambling his senses. When they got back to their feet, the Floridian seemed to stand off Evans when in fact he should have jumped on him.
With the victory, Evans became the light heavyweight championship title challenger against Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. On the cards, judges Sal D’Amato had it 29-28, with Glenn Trowbridge and Marcos Rosales a shut out 30-27 for Evans. I gave Rampage the third, Rashad the first two rounds.
Evans’ game plan, moving in and out quickly, circling, staying low, worked perfectly, and it was a fight in which the clock appeared to tick down quickly. They were up against the Octagon wall for long periods, with little happening. It was Evans’ game plan to nullify Jackson’s one-punch KO power; it worked – and tired the former UFC 205 lb champion. No question about that. It told in the third round.
Although the comportment was respectful between the two fighters within the combat zone afterwards, Jackson called for a re-match. Evans said he would do it again, too. “Rashad can still kiss my a**. He fought a good fight, but he can still kiss my a**. He said a whole lot of stuff and I ain’t going to forget it. We’re both warriors and I’m not a sore loser. I’m a fighter and I’ve been a fighter all my life. But with the stuff he said…”
“I feel tonight wasn’t the real me,” Jackson said. “I hesitated too much and I just don’t feel I was at my best. I’m not going to sit here and make excuses. Rashad is a good fighter. He proved that. That’s why I respect him. He proved that. He had a good strategy and he was real quick. I was surprised he took me down, but I still feel I’m on another level.”
UFC president Dana White said: “It was the right game plan from Rashad – to use his speed, agility and athleticis, and get the takedowns. Rampage was going to come forward and throw leather; I thought Rampage looked good, when he did catch Rashad in the third round, he got after him. Rashad looked strong, agile, explosive. You knew Rashad would be ready for a fight. The fight went the way I thought it would go.”
The event had gained epic proportions this week in Las Vegas. White believes it was not only the Evans-Jackson fight. “This became a huge event. It was the launch of the video game, we had this fight, the expo going on. It translated.”
On Rampage’s future, White added: “I think that there’s a lot of talk – the grass is never greener on the other side. This is where Rampage makes a lot of money. He made a great movie – I’m hearing he did a great job, it will be a big smash summer. Rashad was the winner in this fight, he’ll get the title shot, and Rampage will jump back in line.”
“People were booing at stupid stuff tonight,” White said. “Guys aren’t going to run out there and throw haymakers. There is strategy and these guys have game plans. They’re not going to run in like a train wreck at each other. The crowd was really fired up tonight.”
There will be a Rashad-Rampage II. I wouldn’t mind betting it will be for the 205lb UFC belt which both men have held previously. Maybe next time, they can really get down to business. Because this was not what we were all expecting
The Last Tradition
