Rashad Evans looked to make an emphatic return to the Octagon at UFC 192. Instead, it was Ryan Bader who created a big moment for himself with a unanimous-decision win over "Suga" in the co-main event in Houston.
Bleacher Report MMA tweeted out the official result Saturday:
Official Result: Ryan Bader defeats Rashad Evans by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) #UFC192
— Bleacher Report MMA (@BR_MMA) October 4, 2015
The bout started off with an extended feeling-out session. Both fighters chose to keep the match in the stand-up department, yet neither was committal about throwing anything with substance. Overall, Bader established the early lead as Evans worked out some ring rust, as noted by Jeremy Botter of Bleacher Report:
10-9 to Bader in the first round. Evans does seem to be a bit slower.
— Jeremy Botter (@jeremybotter) October 4, 2015
The action picked up for both fighters in Round 2. Evans took the center of the Octagon and became the aggressor through much of the round, but Bader was the more effective striker with his counters against the fence.
Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports thought the round belonged to the Power MMA product:
Bader up 20-18 on my card. Rashad really has to step it up, but I think he's tiring
— Kevin Iole (@KevinI) October 4, 2015
The third round was more of the same. Evans continued to try to press the action, but Bader showcased strong striking prowess of his own in consistently getting the better end of the exchanges.
This win has to be the biggest of Bader's career thus far. It's been nearly seven years since he won The Ultimate Fighter 8, but it appears that he's turned the corner as a true top-tier light heavyweight.
It's a transition that Bader attributes to a sense of urgency at this point in his career, per Duane Finley of UFC.com:
My drive is completely different at this stage in my career. In the early stages you look at the future and think it doesn’t really matter what happens because there is so much time to still accomplish your goals. You can win every fight in front of you and the things you want will eventually materialize, but I still knew I wasn’t where I needed to be skill wise.
In terms of skill, Bader is where he needs to be. This marks his fifth consecutive win, with the last two coming against Evans and another high-quality opponent in Phil Davis.
The fight marked the first time back for the 36-year-old Evans since he defeated Chael Sonnen in November 2013. Even so, with the dearth of rising contenders in the division, Evans entered the bout as the No. 5 light heavyweight in the UFC rankings.
One has to wonder how much he has left in the tank. The former UFC champion has always depended on his superior athleticism. After a two-year hiatus because of injury, a loss like this could be a sign of things to come.
For Bader, he'll now have new challenges to prepare for. And it wouldn't be surprising if those new challenges include a title shot in the near future—especially with No. 1 Anthony Johnson losing his title shot and No. 2 Alexander Gustafsson fighting for the title in the UFC 192 co-main event.
On a big night for the light heavyweight division, Bader may have emerged as the biggest winner.
