Sugar Rush - Evans Back on Track with UFC 78 Win over Bisping

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By Thomas Gerbasi

NEWARK, NJ, November 17 – After his July draw with Tito Ortiz, Rashad Evans’ place in the talent-rich light heavyweight division was questioned. But in the UFC 78 main event at the Prudential Center tonight, the Michigan State product returned to his lofty spot in the 205-pound pecking order with a solid three round split decision win over England’s Michael Bisping.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 28-29 for the unbeaten Evans (16-0-1), whose takedowns and quick right hands proved to be the deciding factor.

“I got to give credit to Michael Bisping, he came in here and fought a great fight,” said Evans, winner of The Ultimate Fighter season two. “But I controlled the pace of the fight by being able to take him down.”

“I thought it was a very close fight,” said a gracious Bisping, who won season three of The Ultimate Fighter. “People said that I didn’t belong in there with Rashad, but I think I did prove that I belong here.”

Evans kept Bisping off balance to begin the fight, eventually putting ‘The Count’ on the canvas 30 seconds into the bout. Bisping battled back to his feet and kept Evans close, looking for a restart. He got one with 3:20 left in the frame, but Evans quickly closed the gap with his faster hands and again pushed the fight to the fence as he looked for a takedown. After the two finally broke, Evans landed upstairs and Bisping responded with a kick, but Evans took advantage and put his foe on the mat and transitioned into side control briefly before Bisping scrambled to his feet and tried to score with knees on the inside. Evans, showing a renewed insistence on pushing the pace, answered back with a couple of forearms before scoring yet another takedown just before the round ended.

Bisping came out fast to start the second, but Evans wasn’t rattled in the slightest, as he instead scored with a right hand and then picked Bisping up for a Octagon-shaking slam. Bisping got his wits back almost instantly and he attempted to score with strikes while Evans was in his guard. After a short stalemate, referee Dan Miragliotta stood the fighters and Bisping started to fins his range briefly, only to again get nailed by Evans’ 1-2s. With under a minute to go, Bisping was unquestionably the busier and more effective of the two fighters, and a hard knee to the midsection got Evans’ attention.

With his strong second round finish still in his mind, Bisping again pushed the pace in the final frame, but Evans drew first blood in the third with a takedown. Bisping turned the tables and reversed position with 3:30 left, but the two stood moments after and looked to make their fortunes on their feet. There, Evans was too fast and accurate with his strikes, and his right hands were almost inevitably followed by takedowns. And though Bisping gamely looked for a finishing haymaker in the final seconds, the rush was too little, too late as Evans fought through fatigue to get to the final bell and the victory.

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