UFC Hall of Famer Rashad Evans pitches Rampage Jackson rematch on 14th anniversary of their UFC clash: “Run it back?”
Former UFC light heavyweight champions Rashad Evans and Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson could be on another collision course.
Evans and Jackson clashed in what at the time was one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history at UFC 114. Their three-round headliner went the distance, with Evans earning a unanimous decision victory.
The Evans vs. Jackson fight was the icing on the cake of months of bad blood between the two sides. The two former titleholders saw their feud reach millions around the world during their time coaching opposite each other on The Ultimate Fighter 10.
Both fighters have retired from MMA in recent years but haven’t ruled out returns to combat sports in boxing or another discipline. Evans, who returned to MMA at Eagle FC 44 in 2022, is open to running it back with Jackson.
Rashad Evans vs. Rampage Jackson 2?
In a recent tweet, Evans pitched a rematch with Jackson.
https://twitter.com/SugaRashadEvans/status/1793715628496613444
“Hard to believe this happened almost 14 years ago,” Evans tweeted. “Time to run it back [Rampage]?”
Jackson was scheduled to take on former WBO heavyweight boxing champion Shannon Briggs on June 1, but the fight was called off due to undisclosed reasons. It’s uncertain if Jackson still intends to return to fighting to make his boxing debut.
Evans and Jackson are two of the most accomplished fighters in UFC light heavyweight history. Evans entered the UFC Hall of Fame in 2019, and Jackson could potentially enter the UFC Hall of Fame in the next few years.
Jackson retired from MMA after a loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237. The loss to Emelianenko came after a second-round knockout of Wanderlei Silva at Bellator 206.
Tensions between Jackson and Evans have appeared to cool off in recent years, and both fighters have changed since their UFC 114 clash. But, if a rematch takes place, expect more fireworks to surface in this all-time rivalry.
