Rashad Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American retired
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting sport based on striking and grappling; incorporating techniques from various combat sports from around the world.
In the early 20th century, various inter-stylistic contests took place t ...
who competed in the
Light Heavyweight
Light heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports.
Boxing
Professional
In professional boxing, the division is above and up to , falling between super middleweight and cruiserweight (boxing), cruiserweight.
The light heavyweight class has ...
division. Evans started his professional MMA career in 2003, and was the
Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
winner of
The Ultimate Fighter 2 in 2005. In 2008, Evans won the
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship, and in 2019, was inducted into the
UFC Hall of Fame
The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...
.
In present day, he serves on the UFC broadcasting team as a desk analyst while also advocating for the health benefits of functional mushrooms through his company Umbo, co-founded alongside former NFL quarterback,
Jake Plummer
Jason Steven "Jake" Plummer (born December 19, 1974) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for 10 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Arizona State Sun Devils. Pl ...
.
Wrestling career
Wrestling
Wrestling is a martial art, combat sport, and form of entertainment that involves grappling with an opponent and striving to obtain a position of advantage through different throws or techniques, within a given ruleset. Wrestling involves di ...
out of
Niagara-Wheatfield High School
Niagara-Wheatfield Central School District is a public school district in New York State located in the Town of Lewiston, New York, about from Niagara Falls, New York. The district serves students from the towns of Niagara and Wheatfield.
...
in
Sanborn, New York
Sanborn is a hamlet (and census-designated place, population: 1,645 in 2010 census) in the Towns of Cambria and Lewiston in Niagara County, New York, United States, on the southern side of the intersection of New York State Route 429 and New ...
, Evans twice made it to the state finals tournament of New York by winning his weight class for his region, in which he received All-State honors both times. In 1997 he placed 4th in the state at 145 pounds. In 1998 he placed 4th in the state at 171 pounds. In 1999 he entered the National Junior College Athletic Association National Championships for the 165 pound weight class in which he finished in 4th place. Competing once again at this tournament in 2000, he was the champion of the 165 pound weight class.
Moving on to the
NCAA Division I
NCAA Division I (D-I) is the highest division of intercollegiate athletics sanctioned by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States, which accepts players globally. D-I schools include the major collegiate athlet ...
wrestling, Evans competed for
Michigan State
Michigan State University (Michigan State or MSU) is a public land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the first of its kind in the ...
, in the
Big Ten
The Big Ten Conference (stylized B1G, formerly the Western Conference and the Big Nine Conference, among others) is a collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Founded as the Intercollegiate Conference of Faculty Representatives in 1 ...
conference. In 2002 he finished in 4th place in the conference championships, losing a decision to fellow future UFC competitor
Jacob Volkmann
Jacob Joseph Volkmann (born September 5, 1980) is an American former mixed martial artist that competed in the Welterweight division. A professional MMA competitor from 2007 to 2016, Volkmann has formerly competed for the UFC, Bellator, and the ...
in the third place match. In addition to Volkmann, this 174 pound weight class also saw more future UFC competitors with
Gerald Harris and
Josh Koscheck
Josh Koscheck (born November 30, 1977) is an American retired mixed martial artist who fought at Welterweight for the UFC and Bellator MMA. Koscheck made his debut with the UFC on the first season of the reality television show, ''The Ultimate ...
competing in it this year. In 2003, Evans again competed in the 174 pound weight class, capturing 3rd place in the Big Ten Championships. Entering the NCAA Division 1 championships on top of this 3rd-place finish, Evans won his opening match before losing a close 3–0 decision to the eventual national champion, Robbie Waller. Staying alive through the consolation bracket Evans pinned his next opponent before being matched up with legend
Greg Jones, a 3x National Champion who would finish his college career with a record of 126–4. Evans won the match via 3–2 decision, becoming one of only 4 people to defeat Jones in his college career. Evans lost his next match to Purdue's Ryan Lange, in a close 3–2 decision, ending his college career. A win would have qualified him for
All-American
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...
status. He finished his career at Michigan State with a record of 48 wins and 34 losses.
Mixed martial arts
Early career
In 2004, under the tutelage of future
UFC Hall of Fame
The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...
r
Dan Severn
Daniel DeWayne Severn (born June 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Beast", is an American retired professional wrestler, retired mixed martial artist and amateur wrestler. A UFC Hall of Fame member, Severn is considered one of the leading pioneers of ...
, Evans competed in five professional mixed martial arts fights, winning all five. This led to his selection as one of the nine heavyweights to compete on ''
The Ultimate Fighter 2'', a
reality TV
Reality television is a genre of television programming that documents purportedly unscripted real-life situations, often starring ordinary people rather than professional actors. Reality television emerged as a distinct genre in the early 199 ...
series on
Spike. The season began airing on August 22, 2005, culminating in a
live finale between the final two fighters of each weight division, held in Las Vegas, Nevada, on November 5, 2005. Rashad Evans is also a black belt in
Gaidojutsu and
Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and studied
karate
(; ; Okinawan language, Okinawan pronunciation: ), also , is a martial arts, martial art developed in the Ryukyu Kingdom. It developed from the Okinawan martial arts, indigenous Ryukyuan martial arts (called , "hand"; ''tī'' in Okinawan) un ...
as a child.
The Ultimate Fighter
At and , Evans was the shortest and the second-lightest of the nine heavyweight competitors. He was considered the underdog in each of his fights, but made it to the finals by defeating Tom Murphy,
Mike Whitehead, and
Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce.
Background
Jardine was born in Butte, Montana, moved to Oregon, and finally settled in Los Angele ...
all by decision. During his tenure on the show, Evans was criticized by opposing coach
Matt Hughes for his
showboating during fights, but the two eventually settled their differences, and Hughes even cornered Evans for his semifinal bout. In the finale, Evans defeated
Brad Imes by
split decision
A split decision (SD) is a winning criterion in boxing, most commonly in full-contact combat sports, in which two of the three judges score one particular competitor as the winner, while the third judge scores for the other competitor.
A split de ...
, thus winning a three-year, six-figure contract with the UFC and a brand new car. After ''The Ultimate Fighter'', Evans joined Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting camp along with fellow competitor
Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce.
Background
Jardine was born in Butte, Montana, moved to Oregon, and finally settled in Los Angele ...
, who would eventually become his training partner and good friend.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
Undefeated streak
Evans dropped down to light heavyweight after the show, deciding he would have a better chance of success in a lower weight class. His first fight under the contract took place on April 6, 2006, against
Sam Hoger, who had been a semi-finalist on ''
The Ultimate Fighter 1''. Evans defeated Hoger via split decision despite nearly falling victim to a
kimura submission at the end of the second round.
Evans followed with a victory by
majority decision
A majority decision (MD) is a winning criterion in several full-contact combat sports, such as boxing, kickboxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA) is a full-contact fighting combat sport, sport based on strike (at ...
over ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'' finalist
Stephan Bonnar on June 28, 2006. Evans maintained control throughout the fight with repeated take downs, including a number of slams in the center of the cage and went on to secure the victory.
Three months later, Evans faced
Jason Lambert at ''
UFC 63''. Lambert, riding an eight-fight win streak, was seen as Evans's first real test at 205 pounds. Evans controlled the fight from early on, and knocked Lambert out with punches from the mount in the second round. It was his first stoppage victory in over two years.
Evans next headlined ''
UFC Fight Night: Evans vs Salmon'' against UFC newcomer
Sean Salmon, a highly decorated collegiate wrestler who held a 9–1 professional record. Though Salmon had won the first round by scoring two takedowns, Evans came back with a head kick knockout early in the second round. Salmon remained motionless for several minutes after the fight and was eventually carried out on a stretcher to a local hospital. The kick came to the surprise of many fans who had previously considered Evans a one-dimensional wrestler. This fight earned him another ''
Knockout of the Night'' award.
At ''
UFC 73'', Evans squared off against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion
Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz () is an American politican and retired mixed martial artist and Submission grappling, submission grappler. Ortiz is best known for his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...
. The two competitors fought to a draw as all three judges scored the bout 28–28. Ortiz had won two out of three rounds on all scorecards, but was docked a point for holding the cage fence to defend against a takedown by Evans. Immediately after the fight, Ortiz asked for a rematch. At a press conference following ''UFC 73'', UFC President
Dana White promised a rematch which, for various reasons relating to scheduling, did not occur until 4 years later at ''
UFC 133
''UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2011, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of mun ...
''.
Unable to get a rematch with Ortiz, Evans made his debut as a headliner on a pay-per-view event at ''
UFC 78'' instead, against fellow undefeated fighter and ''
The Ultimate Fighter 3'' winner
Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English former mixed martial artist, sports commentator, analyst, and actor. He competed in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...
. After three close rounds, Evans came out on top on two of the judges' scorecards, winning by split decision. This fight marked Bisping's first loss and his final bout in the light heavyweight division. After his win over Bisping, Evans drastically changed his fighting style, which he kept secret until his fight against UFC Legend
Chuck Liddell
Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2018, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (from 2005 to 2007) and i ...
.
Evans vs. Liddell
Entering the fight as a very heavy underdog, Evans shocked the world by knocking out former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in brutal fashion at ''
UFC 88''. Liddell threw an uppercut that Evans countered with an overhand right, landing flush. Liddell remained unconscious for several minutes before finally walking out of the cage under his own power. This fight earned him another ''
Knockout of the Night'' award.
The knockout was awarded knockout of the year by
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...
for 2008. Evans had previously been scheduled to face Liddell at ''
UFC 85'' as a replacement for the injured
Mauricio Rua. When Liddell pulled out of the event due to an injured hamstring, Evans was matched with
James Irvin. When Irvin pulled out after breaking his foot, the fight was removed from the card altogether. After the fight,
UFC President
Dana White confirmed in the post-event press conference that Evans's next fight would be a title shot against newly crowned
light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at ''
UFC 92''. fotn
Winning the Light Heavyweight Championship
On December 27, 2008, at ''
UFC 92'', Evans faced champion Forrest Griffin for the UFC Light Heavyweight belt. Griffin controlled most of the first two rounds with effective striking and low kicks. In the third round, however, Evans caught a low kick and countered with a straight right hand that dropped Griffin. Evans followed Griffin to the ground and eventually managed to finish the stunned champion with punches inside Griffin's guard. With the victory, Evans became the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. It capped off a year in which Evans won Fighter of the Year honors from Sherdog.com. This fight earned him a $60,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
Losing the title
Evans's first defense of the UFC Light Heavyweight title against challenger
Lyoto Machida ended in a knockout loss. During a flurry of punches from Machida, Evans started trash talking Machida telling him 'his hands were made of pillows'. Machida continued his onslaught, knocking the champion out. A photograph of Evans's face during the knockout became an infamous meme called "Shad face" among MMA fans. This was the first loss of his career and the 15th straight win of Lyoto Machida's career. Then, Evans went on to coach against
Rampage Jackson in ''
The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights''. Evans was scheduled to fight Jackson on December 12, 2009, at ''
UFC 107'', but this was canceled due to Jackson being cast for the
A-Team movie. On September 22, 2009, Jackson wrote in a blog on his website that he is "done fighting" because of events that occurred between Jackson and Dana White, the president of the UFC.
Thiago Silva was named as Evans' next opponent at ''
UFC 108''.
Back into title contention
Evans fought
Thiago Silva in the main event of
UFC 108 on January 2, 2010.
Dana White was quoted as saying that if Evans could defeat
Thiago Silva at UFC 108, then he would go on to face
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. During the Spike TV broadcast of the UFC 108 preliminary card, Evans confirmed that he received his
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under
Rolles Gracie that morning. Evans would go on to defeat Thiago Silva – another BJJ black belt – by unanimous decision. Deviating from his usual standing and striking, Evans displayed his grappling skills with numerous takedowns that frustrated Silva throughout the match, but Evans failed to damage Silva substantially while on the ground. In the third round, after severely mocking his opponent's fighting style with various taunts, Silva connected with a right hook to Evans's jaw, rocking him. Silva hesitated in finishing Evans off in order to return the taunting, however, and Evans was able to recover leading to a UD win.
Evans was expected to finally face rival
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), known by his ring name of Rampage Jackson, is an American rapper, former mixed martial artist, actor, kickboxer, and professional wrestler. During the course of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, ...
at
UFC 113,
but the bout took place on May 29, 2010, at
UFC 114.
Evans caught Jackson with a right hand early in the first round and throughout the rest of the fight tried to take Jackson down, succeeding three times out of nine. In the third round Evans was hurt by Jackson but recovered and ended the final round with another takedown and strikes on the ground. The judges scored the bout 30–27, 30–27, 29–28 giving Evans the unanimous decision. Afterwards UFC President
Dana White officially confirmed that Evans would square off against
Maurício Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, but not until mid-Spring or early-Summer of 2011 as Rua recovered from knee surgery. The fight was then booked for the main event of
UFC 128 when the UFC returned to Newark, New Jersey.
Following Evans's training partner
Jon Jones
Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
's victory over
Ryan Bader at
UFC 126, it was announced that Evans injured his knee during training. Jones was then told in his post-fight interview that the UFC wanted him to replace Evans in his fight against Mauricio Rua for the
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones accepted and the fight was set for
UFC 128.
It was then expected that if Jones won, he would face Evans in his first title defense.
During a UFC 128 post-fight interview with
Ariel Helwani, Evans stated that he was done training at Jackson's Martial Arts in preparation for his fight with Jon Jones. He then commenced training at Imperial Athletics in
Boca Raton, Florida
Boca Raton ( ; ) is a city in Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. The population was 97,422 in the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and it ranked as the 23rd-largest city in Florida in 2022. Many people with a Boca Raton Address, ...
, at a new camp co-founded by Evans and several Brazilian fighters who had concomitantly left
American Top Team due to a dispute over management services; these were later joined by some African-American fighters, and as a result the camp's members became known colloquially as the "Blackzilians", especially on
Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
. Evans gave further insight to MMAWeekly about his leaving Jackson's Submission Fighting, "When you get to a certain point, you really need a lot of time (with the coaches)… make sure you get the one-on-one, and you just need different things," he explained. "After being at Jackson's for a while, with so many people at the gym, it just got harder and harder for me to get that time."
Evans/Jones was expected to take place on August 6, 2011, at
UFC 133
''UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2011, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of mun ...
, but Jones was sidelined with a hand injury. Evans was expected to face rising prospect
Phil Davis at the event instead. A title fight between
José Aldo and
Chad Mendes was delayed, so the UFC promoted Evans vs. Davis to serve as the main event. However, with less than four weeks until the event, Davis pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury. A rematch with Tito Ortiz was scheduled to headline the event. Evans defeated Ortiz at UFC 133 via TKO in the second round. The victory secured Evans a title shot against Jones. This fight earned him a $70,000 ''
Fight of the Night'' award.
Evans and Jones were rumoured to finally clash on December 10, 2011, at
UFC 140. However, a lingering thumb injury cost Evans another title opportunity, and he was replaced by
Lyoto Machida to fight Jon Jones for the belt at UFC 140. Jones retained the Light Heavyweight belt, defeating the challenger Machida, which left open the possibility of a future fight between Evans and Jones for the title.
Evans faced Phil Davis on January 28, 2012, at
UFC on Fox 2. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Evans out-wrestled the former division one national wrestling champion landing numerous takedowns throughout the fight.
In his second title shot, Evans faced UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones on April 21, 2012, at
UFC 145. Evans lost to Jones via unanimous decision.
In his first post-title shot fight, Evans faced
Antônio Rogério Nogueira in the co-main event at
UFC 156 on February 2, 2013. Nogueira won the fight via unanimous decision.
Evans faced
Dan Henderson on June 15, 2013, in the main event at
UFC 161. He won the fight by split decision.
Evans faced
Chael Sonnen at
UFC 167 in a Light Heavyweight bout on November 16, 2013, in the co-main event of the evening. He won the fight via TKO in the first round.
Injuries and Rehabilitation
Evans was expected to face
Daniel Cormier at
UFC 170 on February 22, 2014. However, a leg injury knocked him off the card just 10 days before the event. Originally expected to be out for a month, Evans was instead sidelined indefinitely.
Evans was linked to a potential bout with
Alexander Gustafsson on January 24, 2015, at
UFC on Fox 14. However, Evans announced he was not ready to accept a fight during that time frame as he was still rehabilitating a lingering knee injury.
Evans was expected to face
Glover Teixeira
Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
on February 22, 2015, at
UFC Fight Night 61. However, on January 7, Teixeira pulled out of the bout citing a slow to heal knee injury that he had sustained in his last fight. In turn, Evans was removed from the event entirely. A heavyweight bout between
Antônio Silva and
Frank Mir
Francisco Santos Miranda III (; born May 24, 1979), is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the heavyweight division. He competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for sixteen years, and Bellator MMA. A former UFC Heavywe ...
, previously scheduled for
UFC 184, took place a week earlier and headlined the event.
Evans announced in mid-February 2015 that he expected to be sidelined an additional six to sevens months after undergoing another knee surgery and hoped to return by the end of 2015.
Evans faced
Ryan Bader on October 3, 2015, at
UFC 192. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.
A long discussed bout against
Maurício Rua was rescheduled and was expected to take place on April 16, 2016, at
UFC on Fox 19.
However, Rua was pulled from the fight on March 9 in favor of a matchup with
Corey Anderson a couple of weeks later at
UFC 198 and was replaced by former title challenger
Glover Teixeira
Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
. Evans lost the fight via knockout in the first round.
Drop to Middleweight, retirement and return to fighting
Evans was expected to face
Tim Kennedy in a middleweight bout on November 12, 2016, at
UFC 205. However, on November 8, Evans was pulled from the fight after an undisclosed irregularity was found during his pre-fight medical exam. Subsequently, Kennedy was removed from the card as well. The bout was quickly rescheduled and was expected to take place a month later at
UFC 206. Once again, Evans was unable to obtain medical clearance to compete on the card and was pulled from the bout on November 21. An irregularity in his pre-fight tests was responsible for both removals and he is expected to undergo an additional screening with an neurologist to prove he is healthy enough to fight, before possibly returning to the cage in January or February, according to his manager.
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Jones vs. Team Sonnen middleweight winner
Kelvin Gastelum
Kelvin Gastelum (born October 24, 1991) is an American professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Gastelum earned a contract with the UFC after winning '' The ...
was his eventual replacement on the card.
Evans faced
Dan Kelly on March 4, 2017, at
UFC 209. He lost the back-and-forth fight via split decision.
Evans faced
Sam Alvey on August 5, 2017, at
UFC Fight Night 114. He lost the fight by split decision.
Evans faced
Anthony Smith in a light heavyweight bout on June 9, 2018, at
UFC 225. He lost the fight via knockout in the first round.
On June 25, 2018, Evans announced his retirement from MMA.
On May 18, 2019, Evans was announced to be inducted into UFC Hall of Fame on July 5, 2019.
On December 19, 2021, Evans is scheduled to compete in his first professional grappling match against Ryan Aitken under the
Combat Jiu-Jitsu ruleset at the Featherweight edition of the CJJ World Championships.
Return from retirement
On September 20, 2019, news surfaced that by his request, Evans was released from the UFC in order to pursue a return from retirement in another organization. In December 2021, Evans revealed he would be fighting for the first time since 2018 for
Khabib Nurmagomedov
Khabib Abdulmanapovich Nurmagomedov (born 20 September 1988) is a Russian former professional mixed martial artist who competed in the Lightweight (MMA), Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He was the longest-rei ...
's
Eagle Fighting Championship promotion. His comeback fight took place at
Eagle FC 44 on January 28, 2022, against Gabriel Checco. Evans defeated Checco by unanimous decision.
On December 11, 2024, it was announced that Evans had signed with Global Fight League. On January 26, 2025 Evans stated "I was added to this without my consent!". In turn, in April 2025, it was reported that all GFL events were cancelled indefinitely.
Boxing
Evans is scheduled to face
Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), known by his ring name of Rampage Jackson, is an American rapper, former mixed martial artist, actor, kickboxer, and professional wrestler. During the course of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, ...
in a boxing bout on April 12, 2025 at ''ICS Mania 1''.
Personal life
Evans and his ex-wife have one son and a daughter. He also has a daughter from a previous relationship
and a son who was born in 2015. On New Year's Eve 2020, Evans's wife, Celiana, gave birth to their second son.
Evans's brother Lance made a brief appearance on ''
The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs Team Mir'', but was eliminated by
Vinicius Magalhaes due to a rib injury and did not join the cast.
In other media
Evans has appeared in a
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company, technology conglomerate headquartered in Redmond, Washington. Founded in 1975, the company became influential in the History of personal computers#The ear ...
commercial, where he says the lines, "You got a problem with that!" and "I'm a PC!", while sparring with an unidentified opponent. Evans was a frequent commentator on the ESPN show ''
MMA Live''. Evans also made an appearance on Spike TV's show ''
Deadliest Warrior''. In the episode, Evans easily pierces a pig carcass with the
xyston
The xyston ( "spear, javelin (weapon), javelin; pointed or spiked stick, goad), was a type of a long thrusting spear in ancient Greece. It measured about long and was probably held by the cavalryman with both hands. It had a wooden shaft and a sp ...
similar to one used by
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon (; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), most commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia (ancient kingdom), Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip ...
, and crushed a gel torso's throat with an elbow.
Championships and awards
Mixed martial arts
* Gladiator Challenge
** GC Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner
*
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promoter (entertainment), promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by TKO Group Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Endeavor ( ...
**
UFC Hall of Fame
The UFC Hall of Fame is a List of halls and walks of fame, hall of fame which honors mixed martial artists and MMA personalities, established and maintained by the U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). In a ...
(
Modern wing, Class of 2019)
**
UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)
**
The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Male boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 2 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation an ...
Tournament Winner
**
Fight of the Night (Two times)
**
Knockout of the Night (Two times)
**
UFC Encyclopedia Awards
***
Fight of the Night (One time)
**Tied (
Chuck Liddell
Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2018, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (from 2005 to 2007) and i ...
) for fifth most wins in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (13)
**Second most takedowns landed in UFC Light Heavyweight division history (50)
**UFC.com Awards
***2005:
Ranked #4 Fight of the Year
***2007:
Ranked #4 Knockout of the Year
***2008:
Fighter of the Year,
Knockout of the Year
'' The Ring'' magazine was established in 1922 and has named a Knockout of the Year since 1989, based on the magazine's writers' criteria.
Knockouts of the Year by decade 1980s
* 1989: Michael Nunn ''KO 1'' Sumbu Kalambay see Michael Nunn v ...
vs. Chuck Liddell
Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2018, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (from 2005 to 2007) and i ...
&
Ranked #3 Upset of the Year
***2010:
Ranked #9 Fighter of the Year
*
Sherdog
Sherdog is an American website devoted to the sport of mixed martial arts (MMA). It also has many forums and discussion pages on the many topics of MMA like records, promotions, etc. The site is a member of the CraveOnline network and provides MM ...
** 2008 Fighter of the Year
** 2008 Knockout of the Year against Chuck Liddell
** Mixed Martial Arts Hall of Fame
* FIGHT! Magazine
** 2008 Knockout of the Year against Chuck Liddell
Amateur wrestling
* Niagara Wheatfield High School
** 4th place New York State High School Wrestling Championships 145 lbs 1997, 171 lbs 1998
*
National Junior College Athletic Association
The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) is the governing association of community college, state college, and junior college athletics throughout the United States. Currently the NJCAA holds 24 separate regions across 24 states ...
**
Junior College National Champion 165 lb –
out of Niagara County Community College (2000)
Rashad Evans
The National Wrestling Hall of Fame and Museum
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Win
, align=center, 20–8–1
, Gabriel Checco
, Decision (unanimous)
, Eagle FC 44
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Miami, Florida
Miami is a East Coast of the United States, coastal city in the U.S. state of Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, Florida, Miami-Dade County in South Florida. It is the core of the Miami metropolitan area, which, with a populat ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–8–1
, Anthony Smith
, KO (knee)
, UFC 225
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:53
, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–7–1
, Sam Alvey
, Decision (split)
, UFC Fight Night: Pettis vs. Moreno
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Mexico City
Mexico City is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Mexico, largest city of Mexico, as well as the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North America. It is one of the most important cultural and finan ...
, Mexico
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–6–1
, Daniel Kelly
, Decision (split)
, UFC 209
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–5–1
, Glover Teixeira
Glover Lucas Teixeira (; born 28 October 1979) is a Brazilian-American former professional mixed martial artist. He competed in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweig ...
, KO (punches)
, UFC on Fox: Teixeira vs. Evans
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 1:48
, Tampa, Florida
Tampa ( ) is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. Tampa's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and t ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–4–1
, Ryan Bader
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 192
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Houston
Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...
, Texas
Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 19–3–1
, Chael Sonnen
, TKO (punches)
, UFC 167
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 4:05
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 18–3–1
, Dan Henderson
, Decision (split)
, UFC 161
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Winnipeg, Manitoba
Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...
, Canada
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 17–3–1
, Antônio Rogério Nogueira
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 156
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 17–2–1
, Jon Jones
Jonathan Dwight Jones (born July 19, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Heavyweight (MMA), Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 145
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 17–1–1
, Phil Davis
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–1–1
, Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz () is an American politican and retired mixed martial artist and Submission grappling, submission grappler. Ortiz is best known for his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...
, TKO (knee to the body and punches)
, UFC 133
''UFC 133: Evans vs. Ortiz 2'' was a mixed martial arts event held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on August 6, 2011, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of mun ...
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 4:48
, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–1–1
, Quinton Jackson
Quinton Ramone Jackson (born June 20, 1978), known by his ring name of Rampage Jackson, is an American rapper, former mixed martial artist, actor, kickboxer, and professional wrestler. During the course of his mixed martial arts (MMA) career, ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 114
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–1–1
, Thiago Silva
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 108
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–1–1
, Lyoto Machida
, KO (punches)
, UFC 98
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 3:57
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–0–1
, Forrest Griffin
, KO (punches)
, UFC 92
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 2:46
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–0–1
, Chuck Liddell
Charles David Liddell (born December 17, 1969) is an American former professional Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist. A professional competitor from 1998 to 2018, Liddell is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion (from 2005 to 2007) and i ...
, KO (punch)
, UFC 88
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 1:51
, Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of municipalities in Georgia (U.S. state), most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia. It is the county seat, seat of Fulton County, Georg ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 11–0–1
, Michael Bisping
Michael Gavin Joseph Bisping (; born 28 February 1979) is an English former mixed martial artist, sports commentator, analyst, and actor. He competed in the middleweight and light heavyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship ( ...
, Decision (split)
, UFC 78
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Newark, New Jersey
Newark ( , ) is the List of municipalities in New Jersey, most populous City (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, the county seat of Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County, and a principal city of the New York metropolitan area. ...
, United States
,
, -
, Draw
, align=center,
, Tito Ortiz
Jacob Christopher "Tito" Ortiz () is an American politican and retired mixed martial artist and Submission grappling, submission grappler. Ortiz is best known for his career with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC ...
, Draw (unanimous)
, UFC 73
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Sacramento, California
Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of California and the county seat, seat of Sacramento County, California, Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento Rive ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 10–0
, Sean Salmon
, KO (head kick)
, UFC Fight Night: Evans vs. Salmon
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 1:06
, Hollywood, Florida
Hollywood is a city in Broward County, Florida, United States. It is a suburb in the Miami metropolitan area. The population of Hollywood was 153,067 as of 2020, making it the Broward County#Communities, third-largest city in Broward County, th ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 9–0
, Jason Lambert
, KO (punches)
, UFC 63
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:22
, Anaheim, California
Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orang ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 8–0
, Stephan Bonnar
, Decision (majority)
, UFC Ultimate Fight Night 5
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 7–0
, Sam Hoger
, Decision (split)
, UFC Ultimate Fight Night 4
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 6–0
, Brad Imes
, Decision (split)
, The Ultimate Fighter 2 Finale
''The Ultimate Fighter 2'' was the second season of the mixed martial arts reality television series ''The Ultimate Fighter''. The season featured a heavyweight and a welterweight division, with 9 fighters initially in each division. The UFC co ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 5–0
, Jaime Jara
, Decision (unanimous)
, rowspan=2, Gladiator Challenge 27
, rowspan=2,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, rowspan=2, Colusa, California
Colusa is a city in and the county seat of Colusa County, California, located in the Sacramento Valley region of the Central Valley. The population was 6,411 at the 2020 census, up from 5,971 at the 2010 census. Colusa originates from the l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 4–0
, Hector Ramirez
, Decision (unanimous)
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 5:00
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Bryan Pardoe
, TKO (punches)
, Gladiator Challenge 26
,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:24
, Colusa, California
Colusa is a city in and the county seat of Colusa County, California, located in the Sacramento Valley region of the Central Valley. The population was 6,411 at the 2020 census, up from 5,971 at the 2010 census. Colusa originates from the l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Danny Anderson
, TKO (submission to punches)
, rowspan=2, Dangerzone: Cage Fighting
, rowspan=2,
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:09
, rowspan=2, Osceola, Iowa, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Dennis Reed
, Submission (anaconda choke)
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 0:50
,
Mixed martial arts exhibition record
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Keith Jardine
Keith Jardine (born October 31, 1975) is an American actor and retired mixed martial artist who most notably competed in the UFC and Strikeforce.
Background
Jardine was born in Butte, Montana, moved to Oregon, and finally settled in Los Angele ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, rowspan=3, The Ultimate Fighter 2
, (air date)
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, rowspan=3, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Mike Whitehead
, Decision (unanimous)
, (air date)
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Tom Murphy
, Decision (unanimous)
, (air date)
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
,
Pay-per-view bouts
See also
* List of male mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable professional male mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
__NOTOC__
A
* Tank Abbott - ( UFC, Pride, Strikeforce)
* Hamdy Abdelwahab - ( UFC)
* Abdul-Aziz Abdulvakhabov - ( ACB)
* Shamil Abdurakhimov - ...
References
External links
*
Rashad Evans profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Evans, Rashad
The Ultimate Fighter winners
1979 births
American male mixed martial artists
Light heavyweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Gaidojutsu
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Living people
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
African-American mixed martial artists
Michigan State Spartans wrestlers
Sportspeople from Lansing, Michigan
Mixed martial artists from Michigan
Mixed martial artists from New York (state)
Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
American male sport wrestlers
People from Niagara County, New York
People awarded a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Ultimate Fighting Championship male fighters
21st-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century African-American sportsmen
20th-century American sportsmen