Rashad Evans Moves Down To Middleweight, Targets UFC 205

Coming off of two back-to-back losses in the UFC’s 205-pound division, including most recently a vicious knockout to Glover Teixeira at UFC on FOX 19, former light heavyweight champion ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans is currently in the process of trimming down for his planned tenure at 185-pounds.

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, courtesy of MMA Fighting, Evans revealed that his target middleweight debut date is on November 12, 2016, and he’s targeting a matchup with the No. 13-ranked Tim Kennedy:

“I can tell you I’m working towards that in making my cut down to middleweight,” Evans said. “As far as the opponent, nothing has been set in stone.

There has been talks about a fight with Tim Kennedy, but other fights too as well, but nothing has been signed yet. I had Ali [Evans’ manager] with Joe Silva trying to set something up but nothing has been finalized yet.”

‘Suga’ claimed that he feels as if he needs a fresh start coming off of his recent disappointing outing, and he says the 185-pound weight class that he has always pondered the possibility of competing at is the perfect place to do it:

“Well, you know, the thing about it is the fact that it is a tough cut but at some point I feel like I need just to kind of start over again, kind of get something fresh, you know.

And 185 is weight class that I’ve always thought about going but really never put the time and the discipline to make it happen and, you know, coming off two fights losing, I just want to find the way to bring some life back to wanting to compete again I feel like dropping to 185 is the best choice.”

Evans feels the timing couldn’t be more perfect for a chance to get back into the win column, as the possibility of performing in front of his native crowd of New York lingers:

“It is absolutely perfect,” Evans said. “I couldn’t write anything better myself to be able to hopefully have an opportunity to compete in this card, to be a part of what this card means for the history of mixed martial arts, it’s just, it really means everything to me, and it’s a big opportunity, a big chance for me to get back on track and to make a statement, you know, it’s something that I look to do.

If I get a chance to be on this card, I’m going to go out there and show off, I’m going to do my thing, and I’m going to enjoy doing it, you know what I’m saying. This is what its about. It’s just about being a part of history.

No matter what happens in my life, I’ll live forever in this moment, I’ll be immortalized in this moment, being the fact that I can say that I competed in the first card at Madison Square Garden, UFC, mixed martial arts, and that for me it’s something that nobody can ever take away. I’ll just be happy I could be a part of that.”

UFC 205 takes place live on pay-per-view (PPV), from Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2016.