Rashad Evans vs. Glover Teixeira Reportedly Agreed Upon For UFC Fight Night 60 In Brazil
Still recovering from a torn ACL that forced him out of his scheduled UFC 170 bout with current title challenger Daniel Cormier, former 205-pound champion Rashad Evans was unable to make it to a rumored bout with top-ranked contender Alexander Gustafsson in the main event of January’s 24’s UFC on FOX 14 from Stockholm, Sweden.
“Suga” was out of action for the entirety of 2014, with his last performance a dominant first round destruction of Chael Sonnen at UFC 167 in November 2013. Although it was a slight disappointment to hear that he wouldn’t be returning to action against “The Mauler,” news comes today that Evans will be returning to the cage sooner than later.
According to a report from Globo’s Ivan Raupp, Evans will face yet another former title challenger when he squares off with Glover Teixeira in the main event of February 14’s UFC Fight Night 60 from Porto Alegre, Brazil.
The bout has reportedly been verbally agreed upon but has not been officially announced by the UFC.
After losing a decision to champion Jon Jones at April’s UFC 172, Teixeira lost even more momentum when Phil Davis dominated him with a smothering display of wrestling at October 25’s UFC 179. Despite five straight wins in the UFC, there were always questions about the slugging Teixeira’s ability to defeat top-level competition, and it appears we’ve found the answers.
He’ll look to rebound against an aging Evans, who, at 35 years old and coming off of a serious surgery, has many questions marks of his own. Both fighters desperately need a win to stay afloat in the talented light heavyweight division, making this a pivotal must-win bout for the main event of the UFC’s first trip to Porto Alegre.
Teixeira may have problems defending high-level wrestlers, and Evans is certainly in that elite category. Will he return to grind out another win over Teixeira, or will the Brazilian knockout artist get back on track in front of his homeland fans?
Photo Credit: Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports
