Jon Jones injured, Phil Davis vs. Rashad Evans ??

With UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones (13-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) injured, UFC officials have now booked a bout between the champ's original opponent, Rashad Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC), and replacement Phil Davis (9-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC).

Sources today confirmed with MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) the new matchup, which takes place at UFC 133. The Canadian Press' Neil Davidson first reported the opponent switch, which was later officially announced by the UFC.

A source told MMAjunkie.com that Jones is facing a lengthy recovery from a torn right-hand ligament suffered in his title win. A timetable for his return wasn't immediately available.

Although not officially announced, UFC 133 is expected to take place Aug. 6 in Philadelphia. The main card is expected to air on pay-per-view.

The change of plans means another speed bump in Evans' request to reclaim the UFC's light-heavyweight title.

Evans had been in line to fight then-champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128 before a knee injury forced Evans off the card. As Rua healed from his own knee injury, Evans sat out nearly a year waiting for the title shot rather than taking a non-championship bout and risking his shot at the belt. But when he lost the slot due to injury, UFC officials gave it to Jones following his early-February victory over fellow top prospect Ryan Bader at UFC 126.

Jones won the title from Rua in dominant fashion at UFC 128, which set up a meeting with Evans, a former training partner with whom he's now had a very public fallout.

But rather than Jones, Evans next will fight Davis, a former NCAA Division I national wrestling champion. Davis is 9-0 in his pro career, and the past five fights have come in the UFC. With victories over Brian Stann, Alexander Gustafsson, Rodney Wallace and Tim Boetsch, he began drawing comparisons to Jones. In this past month's UFC Fight Night 24 headliner, Davis scored one of his biggest wins yet: a hard-fought unanimous-decision victory over notable Antonio Rogerio Nogueira.

http://mmajunkie.com/news/23365/jon-jones-injured-phil-davis-vs-rashad-evans-now-targeted-for-ufc-133.mma

BAD match up in my opinion. First Davis says he is going to re-evaluate and look to fight again September to December, then he gets put in a match with Rashad!?!? I know the Jones injury has come at a bad time, but this fight really has come at a bad time. Davis wins, and it ends all this buildup we've been having between Evans and Jones, Evans wins, and it shoves Davis right back down the ladder. I would have pulled Shogun from the Griffin fight, made Shogun VS Evans the UFC 133 main event so we can see what would have happened at UFC 128 if Evans wouldn't have got injured, then make Davis VS Griffin at a later date. If Davis beats #1 contender Evans here, does he just leapfrog guys like Rampage and Machida and get the next shot? Seems like a rushed and strange decision to me.

Usual UFC bullshit match-making.

Sheldan you're suggestion is spot on. Can't see why they wouldn't just make Shogun-Evans which actually makes sense.

I would have put Machida if he wins at 129 against Rashad in august and have the winner get title shot at Bones. This now creates a log jam of potential contenders, Evans, Machida, Rampage, Shogun (if he beats Griffen), Davis.

Interesting fight but you are all right, it'll screw up the title picture, especially if Davis wins. After all the hype and wait why not just make Evans-Shogun?! Seems pretty evident to me.

Now is this gonna be a number 1 contenders match-up? Or only if Evans wins will he get a shot? I don't see how that's fair.

Bad match up for Davis I see Rashad completely dominating Davis probably stopping him late on.

Is it me or does Jones pulling out seem a bit little fishy with all the drama of late involving the two parties you would think nothing would stop this fight and Jones saying If it was up to him he would be fighting at 133 (On Junkie he mentions this) maybe there is some outside party preventing the fight.

I'm not doubting his injury but something seems off about the situation.

Seems like I'm the only one that doesn't have a problem with this.

I don't know how long bones is supposedly out,but this could be a good thing for the division in the long run,to let some fighters win the fights they need to,to actually sort out who should get the title shots,this division is so deep that there are loads of fights that need to happen before anyone gets a shot at the belt.

I don't agree with,like rashad's situation,where if you don't fight for a year,you still get to wait for your shot,a champ,fair enough,it's his belt,he's earned it,you wait for him,but a challenger should have to keep earning and maintaining his #1 spot,if the champ makes him wait.
We've all seen plenty of fighters after a year out look terrible,so I'm glad really that Rashad is having to fight a good fighter to prove he still should be considered a worthy #1 contender.


Rashad hasn't fought for a year,so I think he'll beneifit from having a tune up fight before he fights bones and IMO Davis has done enough,no one apart from bones has a UFC win streak like his at the moment and he beat a solid fighter in Lil Nog in his last fight,so he has to be considered a worthy challenger.
If Rashad wins,I say give him the Title shot in his next fight,but if davis wins,I'd make him fight Rampage(if he beats Hamill) to become the #1 challenger.

I don't think losing to Rashad would knock Davis's progress towards to top end of the LHW division to much,he could still fight the losers of the other big match ups between forrest - Shogun,theres Machida(after Randy destroys him )the loser of Rampage - hamill fight or the winners of the Bader - Tito,Luiz Cane - Nedkov fights,Rich franklin if he somehow beats lil Nog would make sense and then there are guys like Vera,Vemola and Bonnar that would make good fights,wins against any of them would continue to raise his stock and soon put him back in contention.

If Rashad loses,then I would have him rematch machida or Rampage,if he loses to Hamill,also there's a Forrest rematch,if he gets past shogun,but If shogun wins,then you can have the rashad vs Shogun fight.

I don't think Shogun should be put straight back into a potential number 1 challengers match after the one sided ass kicking he just took from Bones,he's 3-3 in the UFC,losing 2 of his last 3 fights,Shogun for me has slipped to a position where he needs atleast two good wins before he's back in the Title picture and avenging his loss against Forrest is the perfect fight to start his come back run.
Machida likewise needs to beat Randy and one or maybe two more good fighter before he should get another crack at the belt.

I think Rashad and then Rampage,if they win there next fights,are the only two LHW's at the moment,deserving of the next Title shot,but like I say,I think they both need another win before either should have the shot,so i'm glad Bones is out and they are BOTH having to earn the shot.

Shit what am I talking about,after Randy whoops Machida,he'll be on a 4 fight win streak,beating 3 former world champions back to back,he will be without a doubt the most deserving #1 contender.

Course you don't have a problem with it. You never do when it's UFC related.


Anyone else think it's strange that Rashad sat out for so long waiting for Shogun to come back but takes this fight and risks his title shot now?

Rekon he is missing the cash, or he doesn't rate Davis much

Anfields5thKing wrote:Course you don't have a problem with it. You never do when it's UFC related.


Anyone else think it's strange that Rashad sat out for so long waiting for Shogun to come back but takes this fight and risks his title shot now?

I think he needs to get back into the cage, if he sits out again it might be another year without him fighting. And he knows that.
That being said, I really think Rashad won't get another title shot. He will lose to Davis and won't get close again.

If he loses to Davis he'll probably drop to 185. Some great fights for him at that weight class.

I think he has the potential to become a two weight champion if he drops to 185. He could give Silva a torrid time.

If he fought Sonnen-style against Silva he could cause him major problems. Only issue might be his chin against Silva's power.