Evans (15-1-1) won a unanimous decision over Jackson (30-8) on Saturday night in Vegas, using a big first-round blow and a two-takedown rally from third-round trouble to claim a 30-27 decision on two scorecards and a 29-28 edge on the other. Evans used his wrestling to take down Jackson and control him on the ground for most of the first two rounds.
Now Evans will get a title shot at champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua later this year, the UFC has said. But of course Jackson requested a rematch, and the success of the card almost assures he will get one – after Shogun. What is awesome is that the feud between Jackson and Evans doesn't seem to be resolved. Evans still called Jackson an "Uncle Tom."
"Yeah, I stand by what I said," Evans said. "He's a smart person, who plays stupid. When you're a public figure like he is, some people can't tell the difference. … He's a funny dude, and maybe that's part of his act, but that's not always the way he should portray himself."
Of course Jackson wasn't backing down even after the loss.
"Rashad can still kiss my ass," Jackson said. "I respect that he did a good fight, but he said a whole lot of stuff and I ain't going to forget it. … He can kiss my black ass."
Last night's bout was historic because it was the first headline fight between two African American fighters in UFC history. Jackson seemed to take control in the final round, so maybe a rematch has a different result. For now, he has to take Evans' barbs in stride.
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