After almost 15 years since their first bout at UFC 114, Rashad Evans and Quinton Jackson will compete against each other once again. Unlike in their initial encounter, however, the two former UFC Light Heavyweight Champions will attempt to settle their score inside the square circle of a boxing ring instead of a cage. Slated to happen sometime in 2025, both fighters will be coming off considerable layoffs, with Evans having last fought in 2022. For Jackson, the wait has been even longer, as the last time he was seen in action was at Bellator 237 all the way back in 2019.
At one point in time, these two competitors were shaping up to put on one of the most highly-anticipated grudge matches in UFC history. Serving as opposing coaches on the tenth season of the Ultimate Fighter, both men took every opportunity to relentlessly mock, ridicule, and prod each other. This led to some very memorable and funny interactions between themselves and their respective teams, including Jackson famously destroying a door after one of his fighters lost to one of Evans.’
The hype train for their eventual meeting at UFC 114 had been building steadily for months, with the fight also serving as the show’s main event. The contest also had a lot riding on the line for both competitors, as Evans and Jackson were looking to get back into title contention by continuing their win streaks after previously dropping their straps. Evans had lost his championship in brutal fashion via a second round knockout to Lyoto Machida, and Jackson forked over his title to Forrest Griffin after suffering a unanimous decision defeat to the future Hall of Fame inductee.
With audiences tuning in to UFC 114 to finally watch these two 205-lb stalwarts clash, the world watched on to see who would come out on top in one of the more entertaining rivalries in the promotion’s history. Unfortunately, their meeting ended up being anything but entertaining, because other than “Rampage” nearly finishing “Suga” in the third round, the bout was widely panned for its lack of action. Over the entire course of the entire fight, both men had landed a combined 46 strikes against each other, making their marketable showdown seem like a truly boring spectacle. In the end, it was Evans who ultimately got his hand raised, bringing an end to a bafflingly lackluster occasion.
Nearly two decades later, these two former mixed martial arts champions will attempt to settle the score once and for all with a boxing match. Although this rematch comes very late into their combat sports careers, with both athletes being in their mid 40s, Evans remains optimistic, saying, ““Boxing is something I’m a huge fan of and there’s nothing better than getting another chance to fight ‘Rampage.’ While their first dance back in 2010 was labeled as a resounding dud, perhaps their second scrap can deliver on enough excitement to wipe away the stigma that has followed the two for so long.
