Rashad Evans - photo by Joey Hill

Rashad Evans was a man on a mission, and he wasn’t going to let rising star Phil Davis get in the way of his title shot at UFC on FOX 2. He safely executed his mix of striking and wrestling, only on rare occasion trying to finish Davis. Thus, Evans got what he ultimately wanted, his fight with Jon Jones. The fans, however, were less fortunate.

Evans defeated Davis via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC on FOX 2 in Chicago, IL on January 28th. The bout headlined a three-fight main card that also featured young wrestler Chris Weidman defeating jiu jitsu ace Damien Maia in a gassed-out kickboxing match, and the self-proclaimed middleweight champion Chael Sonnen defeating tough Brit Michael Bisping in an unsuspected three-round scrap. While Sonnen and Bisping delivered some excitement for the crowd, the other two fights did not get people out of their seats like the UFC brass had hoped for.

Before Evans and Davis fought, there was lots of speculation comparing their wrestling. Who was better, who could take who down, who had better technique. The questions were answered as Evans caught Davis’ kicks and took him down with relative ease. Davis stayed clear of submissions, and was able to stand on most occasions, but proved to not be enough of a danger on the feet to Evans. It was an auto-pilot cruise to a decision, leaving all five rounds to the way of Evans.

I sat near Jon Jones’ broadcasting position at the event and watched as Jones analyzed Rashads performance. He didn’t show much more than a few smiles and some brief claps throughout. Jones didn’t feel any more excitement than anyone in attendance as highlights were hard to come by.

Regardless of the safe showing, Evans will now fight Jones for his title, likely in Atlanta, Georgia in April. He did what he needed to do to beat Davis, and that’s exactly what would get him a shot at his former crown. The issue was, he didn’t sell that title shot. A finish could have been the extra ingredient that the Jones vs Evans title showdown needed to be a blockbuster.

Even after the fight, the UFC chose not to have Jones step into the cage and market their meeting. Many felt that Jones was awkward on the broadcast and that he should have been down by the cage in the first place. The missed marketing opportunities and performace highlights add up to make Jones and Evans title fight that much less meaningful, and UFC on FOX 2 that much less exciting.

Phil Davis Rashad Evans UFC on Fox 2