Where Does Rashad Evans Go From Here?

[Turd Ferguson]

Last night, Rashad Evans was thoroughly handled by Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 145. It's the same type of loss a lot of guys (i.e. Koscheck, Maynard, Rampage, Machida, Belfort) have been dealt recently, which is a "Where Do I Go From Here"? loss. Basically, you're good, but you're not good enough to beat the champ, and there's zero interest in a rematch, so you're stuck at the top of the division with no title shot in sight.

Rashad is at a crossroads this morning. However, there's one move he can make to rejuvenate his career, and that's dropping down to Middleweight.

Honestly, what is he going to do at Light Heavyweight? There are a couple of compelling matchups for him there, like a rematch against Machida, or a fight against Shogun, but beyond that, he's so far away from a title shot right now that his next chance at the title could very well be 2-3 years from now when Jones inevitably moves up to Heavyweight. He'll also be 35 years old and in the twilight of his career, and that's assuming he doesn't lose to a Machida/Shogun/Bader/Gustafsson during that timeframe.

Dropping down to Middleweight immediately puts him in the top of that division. There aren't many top contenders there, for god's sakes, Tim Boetsch is a potential top contender right now. I absolutely believe Rashad has the potential to tear up the Middleweight Division, and after one win, he absolutely could be in line for a title shot.

There's not much left for him to do at Light Heavyweight, however, at Middleweight, I feel there's a lot he can do, and a fight against Anderson Silva would be a hell of an exciting fight. I definitely feel that Rashad could drop down to Middleweight, win the belt, and dominate the division for years to come.

What's your take on what Rashad should do?

 

[BaconBits]

He is always the much smaller man in his fights at 205 and that is his biggest problem. Thing is, regardless of last night's result, he's still probably the #2 205er in the world. He just doesn't match up particularly well with Jones. I think he beats every other 205er fairly easily but loses to Jones 9/10 times.

At 185, he probably runs through everybody short of Anderson, and I think with his wrestling skill and pure athleticism, he would be a whale of a fight for Anderson. Thing is, I'm not sure he'd even fight Anderson, as I believe they are friends and I doubt he wants to go through this fighting friends thing again.

 

[jmt225]

If Rashad is comfortable at Light Heavyweight then I think he should stay there. All this super weight cutting is just so bad for the sport, IMO. It's nice to see when someone excels at their natural weight class.

That said, I think Rashad should ask for a rematch with Lyoto Machida. If he wins, he starts his climb back up the Light Heavyweight ladder for another title shot, and if loses, that's when he should make the move down to Middleweight to rejuvenate his career.

For now though his spirits shouldn't be completely diminished. He's the first person not to get finished by Jon Jones, and I'd even argue he won a round. But those elbows took everything out of him, man. I'm sure if Rashad got another fight against Jones he'd approach things differently knowing what to expect, and would put on a better performance than he did last night. I'm sure he believes that, too, so now's not the time to make drastic changes to his professional career.

Plus there's always the chance of Jones moving up to Heavyweight after the Hendo fight and Rashad being able to take over the division then. You can't forget about that aspect, either.

 

[INDYjon22]

I'm sure he is disappointed but he really shouldn't be. He is the first man to make it 5 rounds with Jones and that is a great accomplishment. Not to mention he has thrived at Light heavyweight, so I don't really see any point in him cutting to a weight class that could diminish his strength and cardio. If he loses his next fight then maybe he should consider the cut, but for now he is still a top 3 LHW in the UFC and in the world. There is no point in moving weight classes just yet.

 

[Ryman]

Rashads problem is not his size, he has been dealing with that his entire career and still beat bigger fighters. Jones is just better than him.
And i dont think he is that small, he said himself in a interview that he is around 215 pounds(of course i cant find the interview now when i am writing this) Maybe he doesnt have a strict diet either but cutting 30 pounds after putting on some muscle between the Rampage and Tito fight is not a good idea.

 

[Fizzy]

Rashad could probably make MW, but why should he? His only two losses have come at the hands of Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida, two top 5 LHW's. Over the years, he has consistently been a top five fighter at LHW, and has beaten many of the top fighters at this weight. He's still a top Light Heavyweight and i'd favor him over other top five fighters like Shogun, and Hendo, Jones and Lyoto are just terrible matchups for Rashad. If Jones moves up to Heavyweight, i'd favor him to take the title.

Rashad isn't a small guy. Sure, his height and reach seem small for his weight class, but he carries a ton of mass in his legs. If he could cut to Middleweight, it would most likely have a negative affect on his body and performance. Extreme weight cutting is extremely dangerous and is hurting the sport. If Rashad doesn't feel comfortable cutting the weight, he should feel no obligation to even try.

 

[BaconBits]

Rashad could probably make MW, but why should he? His only two losses have come at the hands of Jon Jones and Lyoto Machida, two top 5 LHW's. Over the years, he has consistently been a top five fighter at LHW, and has beaten many of the top fighters at this weight. He's still a top Light Heavyweight and i'd favor him over other top five fighters like Shogun, and Hendo, Jones and Lyoto are just terrible matchups for Rashad. If Jones moves up to Heavyweight, i'd favor him to take the title.

Rashad isn't a small guy. Sure, his height and reach seem small for his weight class, but he carries a ton of mass in his legs. If he could cut to Middleweight, it would most likely have a negative affect on his body and performance. Extreme weight cutting is extremely dangerous and is hurting the sport. If Rashad doesn't feel comfortable cutting the weight, he should feel no obligation to even try.

Rashad doesn't cut much to begin with. He walks at somewhere around 210-215. I'm not saying he should go to middleweight, and I doubt he actually will, but I don't think it would effect him all that negatively.

But I'm thinking Dana and Joe Silva start pissing in his ear to move down because 85 has a massive lack of legit contenders post-Chael.

 

[JWGunslinger]

He could cut to middleweight, but I dont see that happening and frankly I dont think he should. He's the clear #2 man at 205 and if he was able to get another shot at Jones he would be the best choice of someone who really threatens the title. He's found his groove at 205 and I think he belongs there, he'll keep beating everyone that isnt Jones and he'll make his way back, even if he doesnt become the champ again by the time he makes it to another shot it'll be getting towards the end of his career and he'll go out as a former champ and a longtime contender. He's one of the best light heavyweights in history but I see him sticking to LHW and being the number 2 til he retires.