MMA

In 2004 Evans started his MMA career under the tutelage of veteran wrestler and MMA fighter Dan Severn, Evans competed in five professional mixed martial arts fights, winning all five. This led to his selection as one of the nine heavyweights to compete on The Ultimate Fighter 2, a reality TV series on Spike TV. Evans was the shortest and the second-lightest of the nine heavyweight competitorsHe was considered the underdog in each of his fights, but made it to the finals by defeating Tom Murphy, Mike Whitehead, and Keith Jardine. During his tenure on the show, Evans was criticized by opposing coach Matt Hughes for his show-boating during fights, but the two eventually settled their differences, as Hughes even cornered Evans for his semifinal bout. In the finale, Evans defeated 6 ft 7 in (2.0 m) Brad Imes by split decision, thus winning a three-year, six-figure contract with the UFC and a brand new car. After The Ultimate Fighter Evans joined Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting camp along with fellow competitor Keith Jardine.Evans dropped down to light heavyweight after The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale win, deciding he would have a better chance of success in a lower weight class.[11] His first fight under the contract took place on April 6, 2006 against Sam Hoger, who had been a semi-finalist on The Ultimate Fighter 1. Evans defeated Hoger via split decision despite nearly falling victim to a kimura submission at the end of the second round. Evans followed with a victory by majority decision over The Ultimate Fighter 1 finalist Stephan Bonnar on June 28, 2006. Evans maintained control throughout the fight with repeated take downs, including a number of slams in the center of the cage and went on to secure the victory. At UFC 73, Evans squared off against former UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz in his biggest test to date. The two competitors fought to a draw as all three judges scored the bout 28-28. Ortiz had won two out of three rounds on all scorecards, but was deducted a point for holding the cage fence to defend against an Evans takedown. Immediately after the fight, Ortiz asked for a rematch. At a press conference following UFC 73, UFC President Dana White promised a rematch, but instead Evans went on to face The Ultimate Fighter 3 winner Michael Bisping at UFC 78. The bout between the two Ultimate Fighter winners, which was Evans' first time headlining a Pay-Per-View event, was very competitive. After three close rounds, Evans came out on top on the judges' scorecards, winning by split decision. The loss was the first loss of Bisping's career, and was the British fighter's final bout at 205 pounds. Evans then fought Chuck Liddell and knocked him out in the second round thus receiving a shot at the title against Forrest Griffin. On December 27, 2008 at UFC 92, Rashad Evans was the first challenger to win Forrest Griffin's UFC Light Heavyweight title. Griffin controlled most of the first two rounds with effective striking and low kicks. In the 3rd round Evans caught a low kick and countered with a straight right hand that dropped Griffin. Though Griffin survived the initial flurry of punches after going to the ground. Later in the 3rd round Evans was able to finish the Fight by TKO via ground and pound. Notable Wins: Michael Bisping, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin