Evans: I can’t retire like this

Rashad Evans began fighting in 2004 and won five fights in his first seven weeks. The next year he won The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight Tournament. He returned to light heavyweight, and on December 27, 2008 Evans TKOed Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 and became the UFC light heavyweight champion. All this happened in just four years, without a loss.

Then ‘Suga’ lost his first title defense, to Lyoto Machida. However, he rebounded with four wins in a row, and gave new champion Jon Jones a run before losing a five round decision. His next fight was a decision loss to Little Nog. Then he rebounded again, beating Dan Henderson and Chael Sonnen. That was 2013.

Next, a series of knee injuries kept him out of the Octagon for years.

Evans had one fight in 2015, a decision loss to Ryan Bader. He had one fight in 2016, a scary Round 1 KO loss to Glover Teixeira. Then he dropped to middleweight. But at 185 he lost Split Decisions to Daniel Kelly and Sam Alvey. Those weren’t flukes – it let Evans know where his level is at middleweight; it’s not champion level, and Rashad Evans is a champion.

Evans turned 38 on Monday. He could retire with an incredible record. Won JUCO nationals. Won TUF. Won the UFC belt. Won Fight of the Night multiple times. Won Knockout of the Night multiple times. Won Knockout of the Year.

But he can’t.

I can’t retire like this, said Evans to Ariel Helwani for MMA Fighting. I would never know peace again in my life. Endless nights I would be left looking at the ceiling unable to accept reality.

I have to talk that over, but I feel like at 205 I had more energy.”