On Saturday night the eagerly anticipated superfight between Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson and ‘Sugar’ Rashad Evans will finally happen. For the first time since Ortiz versus Shamrock, the big fight will not be about a world championship but about the settling of a grudge between two guys who just absolutely hate each other. That said, this is one grudge match that will have significant championship implications as both are among the top contenders to challenge the new world champion Shogun Rua.
Both men having worn the light heavyweight championship around their waist before, with Quinton Jackson ending the long reign of Chuck Liddell in 2007 while Rashad Evans came from behind to secure a KO victory against Forest Griffin. However, neither man was able to impose themselves on the UFC’s most prestigious division, with Jackson losing the belt against Forest Griffin after making only one successful title defense and Evans going one worse and losing it in his first title defense against Lyoto Machida. Both men want to reclaim their title, and both have been promised a title shot should they be able to secure the victory at UFC 114.
That said it’s highly questionable whether either actually deserve a title fight. Evans was overwhelmed by Lyoto Machida at UFC 98, and although he made a strong start in his comeback fight against Thiago Silva at UFC 109 he was lucky to not be knocked out by the Brazilian in the final round. While Jackson would argue that he deserved an instant rematch with Forest Griffin, one cannot ignore that he has fought only twice since then with the second fight being a razor-thin decision victory against Keith Jardine. Neither has the momentum that the UFC usually demands of its challengers, and both should count themselves lucky that nobody else has been able to string together a series of impressive victories in the upper echelons of the light heavyweight division.
Regardless, victory on May 29th gives them the chance to redeem themselves and prove the doubters wrong. The loser however may struggle to stay relevant in a stacked division, full of possible world title challengers. With both hall of famer Randy Couture and middleweight champion Anderson Silva seemingly destined to fight for the light heavyweight title within the next twelve months, the loser may very well be waiting until 2012 for another title shot to come around. And that’s assuming they could put together the victories to earn that distant title shot. Indeed, the pickings for either fighter are slim. The light heavyweight division is full of fighters who are short on name recognition but big on talent and are eager to make their names at the expense of stars such as Evans and Jackson. Fighting the likes of Jon Jones, Phil Davis or even Rogério Nogueria would see either fighter go in as an overpriced favorite, and risk being used as a stepping stone by their opponent.
And it’s unlikely that there would be any big money matches immediately available to either fighter. Both could be paired with former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida but if they’re wise neither man would want to risk facing Machida in their comeback fight as both have the American wrestler-boxer style that he seems to excel against. Both would probably be interested in a rematch with Forest Griffin as either would be able to do good business against the popular light heavyweight, especially on the back of exciting first fights. However, it’s unlikely that the UFC would put the loser up against Forest Griffin as it’s rare that they book somebody coming off a loss against somebody who won their last fight. On that basis, either could face the loser of Chuck Liddell-Rich Franklin although it’s difficult to see what either fighter would gain from a victory over Franklin and both have already secured devastating KO victories over the ‘Iceman’. In any case, Liddell seems to be keen to face Tito Ortiz whenever the latter has healed from his neck surgery.
So in defeat, the light heavyweight division would offer either fighter limited and unpalatable options. Luckily for both fighters they would have alternatives. For Jackson the alternative is obvious, if he loses he can walk away from the UFC for awhile and see how he far he can go with his new movie career. The A-Team Movie opens just a few weeks after UFC 114 and it may give Jackson the opportunity to make money without being punched in the face. For Rashad, defeat by the larger, more powerful Jackson may trigger his long-discussed move to 185Ibs. A move down in weight would make possible money matches against the likes of Wanderlei Silva and Michael Bisping, and would give Evans a much clearer route to earning a title shot. ,
Few matches have stakes as high as Quinton Jackson versus Rashad Evans. They both want their belt back, but only one can walk can earn the chance to win it back. If either man wins they may be the next world champion but if they lose it may be the last time we see them fight, either in the light heavyweight division with Evans or without first buying popcorn to watch Jackson’s latest movie.
The fine line between success and failure has never been finer.
