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This evening, Anwar Perez made his Column debut here on the Torch with an argument that Rashad Evans should have been the one to face Lyoto Machida next, and that a combination of his pride to face Quinton "Rampage" Jackson after TUF 10 and Rampage's decision to film the A-Team movie is the reason that bout may not take place in 2010.
While it's clear that the Rampage departure delayed that particular bout, the fact of the matter is that Evans was not next in line had he fought Rampage in December, and would have likely needed another fight in 2010 before getting to a Title bout as it was.
The face time that went into the coaches feud during this season of the Ultimate Fighter necessitates that their bout take place as soon as possible. Mr. Perez makes a valid point that this bout has less significance in May than it would have last month, but it is not nearly to the level of the injury riddled debacle that became Hughes vs. Serra.
As to the issue surrounding Lyoto Machida's Light Heavyweight Title, it was not Rampage's acting turn that has kept Evans from being next in line, it was, quite simply, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua's performance at UFC 104 and the injuries suffered by Machida that have pushed Evans chance at a rematch back in time.
Most watching UFC 104 in October believed Rua won the bout, and at the very least believed it was such a close bout a rematch was in order. Dana White was one of them, and thus it was Rua being given another shot. With Machida needing surgery following the bout, the rematch has been pushed back to the expected May 1st date.
With that bout the next to happen, at the very least Evans would likely take a fight in the interim rather than take a six to eight month layoff to await the readiness of that fight's winner. With him, as Perez argues, deserving of a Title bout, if he is to take a fight in that timeframe it should be against no one less than Rampage.
This isn't pride taking over for Rashad Evans; he has no control over what match ups the UFC throws his way, as Anwar concedes. No, this is Rashad being a smart fighter and taking the only logical fight for him to take to get that shot to regain the belt he lost to Machida. With him fighting the same night as that Title fight, should he win, he will get the next Title fight as he would have won two straight since losing his belt. There's no other clear fighter to overtake him in the division at this moment and fighting Rampage is anything but detrimental to his career.
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