Last week we learned that Rashad Evans had injured his knee in training and would not be able to compete against Daniel Cormier at UFC 170. While the UFC scrambled and found a replacement in Patrick Cummins to fight Cormier, it was also believed that Evans injury was relatively minor and he would only miss approximately four weeks of training time. Today we learned that was not the case, as Evans and his camp, the Blackzilians, have announced that he will be out approximately six months. The following statement was posted on the team website:
Boca Raton, FL, February 17, 2014 – On February 12, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans injured his knee during a training session leading up to UFC 170. After consulting with his doctors, Rashad will undergo surgery this week with Dr. Kvitne in Los Angeles, California. Rashad’s medical team expects him to be out of active training for 6 months.
Rashad Evans says, “I am deeply disappointed to be missing the action at UFC 170, but I am, as always, incredibly grateful for the support of my family, friends, management, the UFC, and most of all my fans during this minor setback. Thank you for your continued messages of support. I’ll be back stronger than ever!”
The injury certainly changes the UFC’s plans in the light heavyweight division as Evans was the number three ranked fighter in the division. A solid performance against Cormier could have put Evans back on track for another shot at the light heavyweight title. A win may not have led to an immediate title shot, but it may have put him into another number one contender’s match.
With the UFC’s light heavyweight division starved for stars and true contenders to Jon Jones title, the loss of Evans for a significant period of time is a big one.
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