UFC
UFC 114 RESULTS: Rashad Evans defeats Rampage Jackson by unanimous decision after third round scare
May 30, 2010 - 9:27:40 AM UFC 114 RESULTS: Rashad Evans defeats Rampage Jackson by unanimous decision after third round scare

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

A year's worth of trash talking and anticipation came to a head on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Nevada at UFC 114, as Rashad Evans earned a unanimous decision victory over Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

The grudge match got a final push this week with the UFC Primetime series on Spike and more comments thrown back and forth between the two fighters, but come fight time Evans played it smart and kept his emotions in check to win every round on two of the three judges' scorecards, and two of the three on the third.

After beginning the fight with a beautifully fast punch that rocked Rampage, Evans continually worked to press Jackson against the cage and earned takedowns throughout the fight. He kept Rampage at bay and on the defensive until one section in the third round.

Rampage engaged and clipped Evans with a left and followed with a series of punches on the ground, but Rashad would not fold. He worked his way back up to his feet and then Jackson seemingly backed off of him on the feet and allowed him to continue. After the fight he said he "put his eggs in that basket" and that may have been all he had left at that point.

Evans recovered and managed to get another takedown, and in that sequence did more damage than at any other point in the fight. It took back the round for him for two of the judges and he made it clear that he was the victor in this fight.

Evans now finds himself likely the first in line to face off with new Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who took the belt from the man that defeated Evans for it, Lyoto Machida, at UFC 113 earlier this month at UFC 113.

Penick's Analysis: Evans was impressive in his ability to implement his gameplan from the outset. A lot of people will continue to consider him a boring fighter, and while there were spurts where that description was apt during this fight, he still had a few moments that made it clear he was the better man on this night. Rampage's inability to finish in the third after knocking Evans down was probably his most disappointing moment of the fight, and Evans showed great resolve in being able to recover from that near TKO and turn around to win the round, at least on two of the judges' scorecards.

It was a very effective performance from Evans and he did not let his emotions get the best of him. The question now becomes whether or not Rampage has the desire to continue fighting considering comments he had made heading into the fight about how he's been treated by the UFC and how he feels about fighting. The money may be there for acting after the A-Team movie, and if that's the case I don't know how much Rampage will want to get back in there. If he does return, a rematch with Forrest Griffin in October or November may be just the type of fight he needs to motivate him to get back into the cage.

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