Dana White Says Rashad Evans 'Won't Wait' for Title Shot This Time

http://www.bloodyelbow.com/2011/10/11/2482309/dana-white-rashad-evans-jon-jones-championship-ufc-news

Rashad Evans' shot at regaining the UFC light heavyweight championship seems to be cursed. Originally scheduled to face then champion Mauricio Rua, the fight was delayed due to a Rua knee injury. Evans sat on the sidelines waiting for Rua to recover rather than staying active, only to suffer a knee injury of his own and see the title shot go to Jon Jones.

Evans was then put into position to face Jones for the title at UFC 133 but Jones pulled out of the bout with a hand injury. After Evans beat Tito Ortiz (the replacement for Phil Davis who replaced Jones) and Jones beat Quinton Jackson, it appeared we would finally see Rashad get his title shot. Instead, a hand injury for Evans forced him out and now Jones will fight Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.

So will Rashad take a chance like he did with the Rua fight and wait on the sidelines for the champion to be ready after his own recovery?

Dana White says no. Via MMA Weekly:

He was like 'I'm not gonna sit around and wait again.' So he probably will (fight). We'll see how this whole thing goes down, we'll see what happens. Plus Jon Jones has fought four times in 10 months. It's crazy.

I'm not exactly sure what fight you go with for Evans that is relevant. The winner of the Rua/Dan Henderson fight would make sense, but White already laid out that whoever won would be in line for a shot behind Rashad. Not that they can't change the plan, but it made sense to have a clear path set up that the title fights would go down.

I'm sure we'll know more over the coming months.

Is there any chance that Rashad and Jones are still really friends and are honoring the fact that they really would never fight each other?

freakzilla wrote:

Is there any chance that Rashad and Jones are still really friends and are honoring the fact that they really would never fight each other?

I dont think so but something does always seem to pop up every time they are supposed to fight.

yeah, like a broken thumb...

killerofchicken wrote:

yeah, like a broken thumb...

I broke my thumb, had surgery with pins put in and it was like a 6 to 8 week injury and i know im not a pro fighter who has to punch people in the face for a living but how long has this injury been affecting him?

timthebim wrote:

killerofchicken wrote:

yeah, like a broken thumb...

I broke my thumb, had surgery with pins put in and it was like a 6 to 8 week injury and i know im not a pro fighter who has to punch people in the face for a living but how long has this injury been affecting him?

I had the same exact injury.

freakzilla wrote:

timthebim wrote:

killerofchicken wrote:

yeah, like a broken thumb...

I broke my thumb, had surgery with pins put in and it was like a 6 to 8 week injury and i know im not a pro fighter who has to punch people in the face for a living but how long has this injury been affecting him?

I had the same exact injury.

How long was your recovery time?

6 weeks later I was back at the gym and playing Rugby League.

freakzilla wrote:

6 weeks later I was back at the gym and playing Rugby League.

Same here it took 6 weeks and by the time 8 weeks hit I believe I was back to 100 percent.

freakzilla wrote:

Is there any chance that Rashad and Jones are still really friends and are honoring the fact that they really would never fight each other?

i think they've probably just been unlucky with injuries and will fight somewhere along the line.

i don't believe there's a genuine beef between them, i think it's just a pathetic storyline to try and sell the fight. unfortunately, they're both really shit at trash talking and come across like a pair of whiny schoolgirls.

i hope the UFC isn't targetting WWF audiences, sonnens laughable challenge was very WWF stylee as well. there will always be professional rivalry at the top level of any sport, staged personal storylines will not help a young sport attain the worldwide credibility it is striving for.

Sonnen's challenge was awesome.

freakzilla wrote:

Sonnen's challenge was awesome.

At the time I thought it was but it definitely had a WWE feel to it.

Cheal Sonnen is the king of the shit talkers, what is awesome is ow much he backs it up...

Andrew the Raider King wrote:

Cheal Sonnen is the king of the shit talkers, what is awesome is ow much he backs it up...

He is but it sounded like a wrestling promo for sure.

Evans-Davis is not a main event caliber fight to me. That's what we'll get though

bobbitt15 wrote:

Evans-Davis is not a main event caliber fight to me. That's what we'll get though

Yep.

timthebim wrote:

bobbitt15 wrote:

Evans-Davis is not a main event caliber fight to me. That's what we'll get though

Yep.

I think that is a pretty solid non title fight main event. Evans is probably the #2 LHW in the world and Davis is nice up and comer that's borderline top 10.

Quote :

i hope the UFC isn't targetting WWF audiences, sonnens laughable challenge was very WWF stylee as well. there will always be professional rivalry at the top level of any sport, staged personal storylines will not help a young sport attain the worldwide credibility it is striving for.

You're not that familiar with boxing or the business of prize fighting. Drama and challenges are what moves the needle. The sport, nor have any other fight sports that are popular on a large scale in the US, ever been purely sport without a little of that type of marketing ever. Never will happen. Doesn't hurt credibility at all anymore than a ball hurts baseballs credibility.

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Quote :

i hope the UFC isn't targetting WWF audiences, sonnens laughable challenge was very WWF stylee as well. there will always be professional rivalry at the top level of any sport, staged personal storylines will not help a young sport attain the worldwide credibility it is striving for.

You're not that familiar with boxing or the business of prize fighting. Drama and challenges are what moves the needle. The sport, nor have any other fight sports that are popular on a large scale in the US, ever been purely sport without a little of that type of marketing ever. Never will happen. Doesn't hurt credibility at all anymore than a ball hurts baseballs credibility.

True. I have a problem with the WWE comparison. I want shit like this to go down in MMA just not all the time though. There is nothing wrong with a little drama or even having a crazy entrance like Mayhem or King Mo have. If everbody started doing it I wouldn't like it as much, but a guy like Sonnen does it well.

I think some pro wrestling style hype is acceptable in MMA...but not scripted BS and canned beef like we get every season of TUF between the coaches.

I wish entrances were more WWE-esque like Japan is. You can't take yourself too seriously to where guys like Mayhem and Mo can't be themselves.

as for Shad...he didnt wait for his title shot last time. He took a fight with Davis, ended up fighting Tito so big whoop.

Defintitely on the outside looking in for Rashad, who doesn't have a fight that would make sense for him to fight, he should be ready for January I would think, do we know when Davis is supposed to be back, that knee injury seems like it was way worse then anyone ever let on

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Quote :

i hope the UFC isn't targetting WWF audiences, sonnens laughable challenge was very WWF stylee as well. there will always be professional rivalry at the top level of any sport, staged personal storylines will not help a young sport attain the worldwide credibility it is striving for.

You're not that familiar with boxing or the business of prize fighting. Drama and challenges are what moves the needle. The sport, nor have any other fight sports that are popular on a large scale in the US, ever been purely sport without a little of that type of marketing ever. Never will happen. Doesn't hurt credibility at all anymore than a ball hurts baseballs credibility.

you always get a bit of smack talk between fighters in the run up to a bout but the UFC is clearly moving into the realm of staged histrionics as far as i'm concerned.

jon jones v rashad evans is a clash of two of the top light heavyweights in the world, fight fans would want to watch it anyway. only a single brain celled organism would give a single, solitary shit which one of them is 'keeping it real'. neither of them are, neither of them are street and they come across like a couple of middle class white boys competing to be the most black.

the rock wasn't cool 15 years ago and chael sonnen isn't cool now, they both sound like twats.

cheekynffc wrote:

Wolfgangsta wrote:

Quote :

i hope the UFC isn't targetting WWF audiences, sonnens laughable challenge was very WWF stylee as well. there will always be professional rivalry at the top level of any sport, staged personal storylines will not help a young sport attain the worldwide credibility it is striving for.

You're not that familiar with boxing or the business of prize fighting. Drama and challenges are what moves the needle. The sport, nor have any other fight sports that are popular on a large scale in the US, ever been purely sport without a little of that type of marketing ever. Never will happen. Doesn't hurt credibility at all anymore than a ball hurts baseballs credibility.

you always get a bit of smack talk between fighters in the run up to a bout but the UFC is clearly moving into the realm of staged histrionics as far as i'm concerned.

jon jones v rashad evans is a clash of two of the top light heavyweights in the world, fight fans would want to watch it anyway. only a single brain celled organism would give a single, solitary shit which one of them is 'keeping it real'. neither of them are, neither of them are street and they come across like a couple of middle class white boys competing to be the most black.

the rock wasn't cool 15 years ago and chael sonnen isn't cool now, they both sound like twats.

/credibilitylost