The fight between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and “Sugar” Rashad Evans is set for UFC 114 and there’s no doubt that both fighters will be wired for this one. After beating Keith Jardine, who is friend and teammate of Evans, rivalry between Jackson and Evans has grown strongly. Now Evans wants to settle the score.
It’s hard to think that there was a time when people doubted Evans’ ability to strike. A former wrestling convert, “Sugar” has worked diligently on his boxing and has evolved into both a threat on the ground and on the feet.
If Evans employs a game plan similar to the one he used against Silva he might find some success. Jackson has very little offense off his back, and although taking another former wrestler down might be hard it could also be worth the effort if Evans can get “Rampage” to the floor. The key for Evans will not be to get sucked into a boxing match, where this fight is virtually dead even.
Prediction: I have serious concerns about how the layoff, which has now lasted over a year, will affect Jackson in this fight. I see this fight being close early on, but the longer it goes on the more the odds swing in Evans’ favour. Jackson will gas by the third round and won’t be able to defend the takedown, and at that point it will be pretty much game over as Jackson will have no defence for Evans’ brutal ground and pound. Evans by TKO in round three.
The Bet: Take Evans in this one. It’s going to take at least one fight for “Rampage” to shake off the ring rust.
0 comments:
Post a Comment