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CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 09: Rashad Evans prepares to fight Anthony Smith in their light heavyweight bout during the UFC 225: Whittaker v Romero 2 event at the United Center on June 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Smith won by TKO. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
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CHICAGO, IL – JUNE 09: Rashad Evans prepares to fight Anthony Smith in their light heavyweight bout during the UFC 225: Whittaker v Romero 2 event at the United Center on June 9, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. Smith won by TKO. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
The former UFC light heavyweight champion, Rashad Evans, has been retired from professional combat athletics since June 2018. That could be a thing of the past now, as “Suga” is planning to reenter competition as a combat athlete again. Per his manager Ali Abdelaziz, his return fight is already being discussed, and it could be in the realm of boxing.
Abdelaziz says that they are looking to make a comeback with a fight against either Roy Jones Jr or Logan Paul.
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Roy Jones Jr is coming off a spectacular exhibition bout against ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, which concluded in a draw. Meanwhile, Logan Paul is fresh off going 8 rounds with one of the greatest boxers to compete, Floyd Mayweather.
@SugaRashadEvans is a pure entertainer and put many peoples lights out. https://t.co/HmuAMR51xX
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) June 19, 2021
Both of them, with Jones weighing in at 210 lbs against Mike Tyson and Paul at a solid 189.5 lbs against Mayweather, would be in the weight range of Rashad Evans. Given their star, both parties could gain a lot financially from the fight as well.
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What can we expect from a Rashad Evans comeback?
“Suga” has been well renowned for his exceptional wrestling ability along with his heavy hands. In his prime, he could put a hardened veteran like Chuck Liddell to sleep with a single right hand. The way he out-grappled Quinton ‘Rampage’ Jackson also stands as a testament to the durability that the veteran possessed. However, he’s coming off a 5 fight skid to retest the waters of combat sports this time around.
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LAS VEGAS, NV – MARCH 04: Rashad Evans waits for the start of round three against Daniel Kelly of Australia in their middleweight bout during the UFC 209 event at T-Mobile Arena on March 4, 2017 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The UFC Hall of Fame inductee was granted a release from the promotion after last losing to Anthony Smith via knockout. Shortly after the release, Evans expressed interest in re-entering the ring.
“I changed my diet after I retired, and it’s drastically changed my body and how I feel. I am definitely heavily thinking about coming back,” Evans had told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto in September 2019.
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With a planned return against such names, it is evident that “Suga” is looking for a big-money fight. If he agrees, it would be his maiden boxing bout. Also, with Logan Paul looking for opponents to fight next, there are good chances that Evans could land the fight.
Who do you think Rashad Evans will take on in his comeback fight?
