Rashad Evans Wins at UFC 92

The UFC 92 main event featured Ultimate Fighter season 1, and season 2 winners Forrest Griffin and Rashad Evans, battling for a UFC title. Rashad Evans who is probably one the most underrated fighters amongst mixed martial arts fans, has finally reached the top of the light heavyweight hill to claim its crown. Rashad Evans has faced some very good fighters and has beaten them all. Facing the Ultimate Fighter season 1 winner Forrest Griffin, who is a very well-respected fighter in mixed martial arts, Evans didn't look physically like he could win the fight. Thinking back over Evans' previous 17 fights, he has fought some very good competition. Majority of this fight looked like Evans was going to be handed his first loss, but it ended the way all Evans' fans would prefer.

The former light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin looked very good in the first two rounds of the fight. From the beginning bell, Griffin looked very relaxed as usual. Throughout the entire first-round he used his height advantage and had Evans backing up the whole time. Griffin stuck with his usual straight one two punch combination, as well as his long kicks which missed Evans for the most part. Most of his kicks that landed were hitting Evans in his legs pretty hard. Besides a couple of good and jabs and maybe a right cross or two, Evans' output was almost nonexistent. Because Evans is shorter than Griffin, it was hard for him to get inside, especially because Griffin was keeping Evans at the end of his punches and kicks quite well. Both fighters' corners must have advised them to get a little busier in going into round 2.

In the first five seconds of the second-round, it looked like we were going to be seeing a repeat of round 1. Then Evans landed three jabs in a row and the activity picked up a bit. Both fighters appeared more relaxed as the fight continued. Griffin then attempted to smother Evans with activity. He had Evans against the cage as he threw a series of punches, kicks, and knees. The flurry did seem to be effective until Griffin backed off and Evans taunted him as if it did not faze him whatsoever. As the fight continued, Griffin kept Evans at the end of his of kicks and long straight punches. Evans did land more of his punches in the second-round, and seemed to be able to get inside a lot easier than in round 1, but he also got caught with some nice clean straight right hands from Griffin. The second-round ended with Evans getting caught square with a straight right hand.

In the third and final round, most observers were probably itching for more action and even though we got it, it wasn't much more than in the first two rounds. The fight was pretty much the same up until Rashad Evans caught one of Griffin's legs while he was throwing a low kick, and took him to the ground. Immediately Evans went to work hammering Griffin's head. Some of the punches seemed effective while others didn't. Evans dominated the entire time they were on the ground and Griffin really just looked tired. Evans continued to work by throwing lots of punches and elbows to Griffin's head. After catching Griffin square in the face with a couple of good right hands, Evans noticed that Griffin was stunned and pounded him with left hands until the ref stepped in and stopped fight.

At UFC 92 a new light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans was crowned. Rashad Evans has beaten some of the best fighters, in a weight class that does not lack good fighters whatsoever. He is still undefeated with a record of 18-0-1. This is a pretty amazing accomplishment for a fighter to achieve in the sport of mixed martial arts. Now that Rashad Evans is the UFC light heavyweight champion, he is no longer the hunter but the hunted. It will be very interesting to see who his next opponent will be.