UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans believes that Lyoto Machida will be the one standing across from him at UFC 98 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23. Evans was recently on the Sherdog Radio Network where he admitted that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will probably need some time off following his UFC 96 match.

"As I learned, 'Rampage' might need time off," Evans said on Sherdog's "Beatdown" radio show. "It'll probably be Lyoto Machida, but I haven't gotten a confirmation on that."

Coming into this past Saturday Jackson and Machida were both in the running for the title shot and Evans' opponent at UFC 98 would be determined by the result of Jackson vs. Keith Jardine.

Jackson won the unanimous decision over Evans' team mate, but was expecting the title bout to happen at UFC 100 on July 11. Due to Frank Mir's injury, the UFC decided to push Evans' title defense earlier and move Brock Lesnar vs. Mir 2 to the summer, most likely at UFC 100.

"Damn," Jackson said at the post-fight conference, according to Yahoo! Sports. "I'll do anything for Dana (White). I had plans to go on a vacation and find an Asian girl and fly first class, stay in a hut and tell her how I was going to win the light heavyweight title. Now it looks like I have to get my ass back to England to train in two weeks."

A fight for Jackson in May would be his third in five months.

The UFC built the entire UFC 96 PPV telecast around the assumption that a Jackson victory would make official Evans vs. Jackson at UFC 98, but afterwards, UFC President Dana White acknowledged the possibility the fight may not happen.

"We still have to make sure Quinton is 100 percent," White said. "It's not a done deal. Quinton has to go get something checked out, make sure he's 100 percent healthy. If he is, that'll be the fight. If not, it'll be Lyoto Machida."

The Sun UK is reporting that Jackson will be out of the UFC 98 card due to his jaw injury as well as a hand injury he suffered during Saturday night's main event with Jardine.

Even though Machida is going to get his shot at UFC 98, it is expected that the UFC will announce that Jackson will get the winner of the Machida vs. Evans fight.

Keith Jardine knows he wasn't the first choice to fight Quinton Jackson at UFC 96. Even if he upsets the resurgent fighter known as Rampage, Jardine doesn't want any part of the UFC's probable choice for his next bout, either.

Yet don't expect to see any reluctance or disenchantment reflected in Jardine's fighting tonight in Columbus, Ohio, where two top light heavyweights will meet in front of a sellout crowd.

Thousands of high school wrestlers and professional bodybuilders in town for a convention will see a card brimming with competitive bouts, even if the main event has a wealth of fascinating subplots outside the ring.

Jardine (14-5-1) is the final obstacle before Jackson's presumed path to another title shot, even if Jardine thinks he's "probably the third person asked to the prom on this one."

"I got a call, and I couldn't turn it down," said Jardine, the resilient 33-year-old who has beaten Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin but still has lost three of his last seven fights.

"I was excited, but they just think they're going to get a good fight from me. I like to strike, I've never been in a boring fight, and they're just throwing me out there and they expect me to put on a good show, but they don't expect me to win."

If Jackson (29-7) wins, UFC president Dana White said he will get a title shot against Rashad Evans, who won the light heavyweight crown last year by defeating Griffin, the man who took it from Jackson last summer.

Think that's complicated? If Jardine pulls the upset, he probably would have a chance for his first title shot, only he doesn't want it if it's against Evans, his longtime friend and training partner.

"Me and Rashad, we've always talked about that, and there's no way that we're going to fight afterward," Jardine said. "That's why people love this sport, because we're not businessmen. We're not like NFL players. They're trying to stay healthy and get a paycheck. We fight with all of our heart and our soul, and how are you going to go out there and give the audience what they deserve when you're fighting one of your best friends? That is just not going to happen."

Nonsense, White said. The UFC president has heard such protestations before from fighters who train in the same dojo or gym, and he doesn't think a friendship can stand in the way of the money and pride that come with a UFC title.

"I promise you they will fight each other if they keep winning," White said. "This isn't basketball. This isn't the NBA. There's no teams in this sport. These are fighters. What if Rashad holds the belt for the next three years? Is Keith just never going to take a shot at the title for the rest of his life? I don't think they're that good of friends. It's just a little game they're playing with themselves."

None of that will matter if Jardine can't upset Jackson. Although Rampage is a solid favorite, Jardine's unorthodox stand-up style and strong leg kicks present challenges that have troubled the former champion in the past.

"I'm really happy if people think I have a kick-defense problem," Jackson said. "I've been working on everything."

Jackson's roller-coaster career seems headed to another peak after his demolition of Wanderlei Silva in December, less than six months after his loss to Griffin was followed by his arrest after leading police on a chase in Costa Mesa, Calif. Jackson changed his life after the incident, embarking on the most serious training of his career in England, and has stuck to the regimen since beating Silva.

The UFC probably would have loved to match Jackson with Evans in Columbus, but Evans needed more time off after beating Griffin. Jackson wants to keep his momentum going -- and he freely admits he needs the money -- so he signed up to take on Jardine in what he hopes will be a bridge to a summer title shot.

"After my performance with Forrest, I've been so ashamed of myself," Jackson said. "Every fight, I'm motivated to go out there and look good and win, because I know what type of fighter I am. I was really disappointed in myself for letting it (get) to that point where I'm not motivated, and I get it in my head that all of these guys are easy.

"There's no more easy fights. I'm motivated to train hard every time."

Source: ReviewJournal.com

The first time Greg Jackson held pads for Rashad Evans at his Albuquerque, N.M., mixed martial arts mecca, he knew he was dealing with a special athlete. He saw speed, power and, most importantly, a desire to learn and a willingness to be shaped and molded. The cerebral superstar trainer was a potter with prime clay in his hands.

So it came as little surprise to Jackson when Evans -- Sherdog’s Fighter of the Year for 2008 -- smote Chuck Liddell with one punch and then captured the light heavyweight championship three months later when he stopped Forrest Griffin on a third-round technical knockout at UFC 92.

“We knew what he was capable of,” Jackson said. “He’s actually capable of more than what he’s shown. People have to remember he’s had only 14 fights. He’s still really young in this sport, and he’s only going to get better. The Rashad Evans you see a year from now is going to be a lot better than the one you see now.”

Considering the manner in which 2007 ended for Evans, it was hard to imagine such a rapid ascent for the former Michigan State University wrestler. He needed a point deduction against Tito Ortiz to earn a draw with the former light heavyweight titleholder at UFC 73 and then battled British standout Michael Bisping to a split decision in a lethargic effort at UFC 78. Still, opportunity abounded.

A fight with future hall of famer Chuck Liddell was announced for June, but “The Iceman” was forced to withdraw from the match with a torn hamstring, leaving Evans without a dance partner for the first nine months of 2008.

“The first half [of the year] was [as] frustrating as I don’t know what,” Evans said. “Coming off the Bisping fight … it wasn’t a fight I looked great in. I just wanted to get that monkey off my back, because you’re only as good as your last fight.”

Once Liddell withdrew, Evans was left to sit back and wait.

“I kind of got depressed,” he said. “I felt like I was in the best shape of my life at that point. Every time you’re out of the ring for so long, you feel like a rookie when you first step back in there. You’re getting the same nerves.”

Patience paid, however, and Evans was awarded a bout with Liddell at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta. Questions about his legitimacy were framed by the infamous heat and humidity of the Deep South, and Evans entered the match as a heavy underdog against the man who had ruled the 205-pound division with his iron fists. Nineteen days before his 29th birthday, Evans climbed into the cage against Liddell and spent the first round knocking off the rust from a 10-month layoff.

“Once you get in there and you get your rhythm down,” he said, “it’s really nothing.”

A scant 1:51 into round two, Evans made Liddell pay for a lazy uppercut and knocked him unconscious with a blistering right hand that left thousands of drunken mouths ajar at Philips Arena. The sudden victory -- and the image of a fallen Liddell struggling to regain his senses -- sent ripples through the MMA community. Suddenly, Evans’ name was on every reputable top 10 list. What’s more, it earned him a title shot against Forrest Griffin at the UFC’s year-end show in Las Vegas.

“He’s a really hard worker who’s super intelligent and has extreme talent,” Jackson said. “He’s smart about the way he lives his life and how he approaches it. When you have someone with those traits, it’s only a matter of time before you start having this kind of success.”

For two rounds, Griffin took small bites out of Evans in the UFC 92 main event, as he kept him at bay with his long reach and off balance with a variety of strikes. Even so, Evans never lost hope, and when the fight hit the ground in round three, he waited for an opportune time to uncork his fists. He struck Griffin with a vicious right hand from inside the champion’s guard and followed up with seismic blows that left him defenseless. UFC President Dana White wrapped the belt around Evans’ waist soon after, and his climb to the mountaintop was complete.

“Not that it was easy, but it was surprising how it just ended and how frustrated I was feeling the round before,” Evans said. “What I wanted to do when I came into the UFC was just go out there and be the fighter I thought I could be. I didn’t know if that was going to make me a champion, but I wanted to go out there and fight to my fullest. I didn’t know if I could be a champion or not.”

Now he knows, along with the rest of the MMA world. Still, it took some time for his latest conquest to sink in.

“I had a migraine [after the fight],” Evans said. “I was quite overwhelmed because of all the attention. I didn’t drink any alcohol. I just kind of sat back, like, wow, this really happened? [I was] kind of in disbelief.”

Qualified suitors from what many view as the UFC’s deepest division have already lined up. The short list includes former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the unbeaten and elusive Lyoto Machida and Griffin. Jackson’s Submission Fighting teammate Keith Jardine might also join the fray soon. For Evans, staying on top presents an entirely new challenge.

“He’s got to get back in the gym and push forward,” Greg Jackson said. “He has to find better and smarter ways to do things. If you just sit back, the game’s going to pass you by.”

Evans (13-0-1) expects to fight again sometime in the late spring or early summer. “Rampage,” though he has indicated he prefers a rematch with Griffin before challenging for the title, seems like the most logical choice. One of the UFC’s most charismatic competitors, the 30-year-old knocked out longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 and has posted seven wins in eight fights.

“I really don’t have any preference on who I fight,” Evans said. “At this point, being the champion, you have to be willing to fight all comers now. I’m ready to go whenever, because now the game has to change. Now I’m the one that’s going to be hunted, and everybody’s going to be after me and everybody will be making gameplans and checking out my weaknesses.”

Jackson sees consistent growth in his star pupil.

“He’s living up to his potential,” he said. “That’s all anybody can do.”

Source: Sherdog.com

Anchored by a middleweight bout between Michael "The Count" Bisping and Chris "The Crippler" Leben, UFC 89 on Saturday drew an average of 2.6 million viewers, according to Spike TV representatives. The telecast -- which aired on tape delay from the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham, England -- peaked with 3.4 million viewers during the 11:30 PM to 11:45 PM quarter hour.

Despite stiff competition from Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on TBS and regional college football coverage on ESPN and ESPN2, the UFC 89 telecast ranked second with 18 to 49 year-old males, 18 to 34 year-old males and 25 to 34 year-old males among ad-supported cable for its time period.

Bisping (17-1) defeated Leben by unanimous decision in a competitive main event, as the UFC made its final stop in the United Kingdom this year. The popular 29 year-old Brit extended his winning streak to three fights and continued his rapid ascent up the 185-pound ladder. Scheduled to coach on the ninth season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series, Bisping will face the winner of the UFC 93 match pairing Rich Franklin with Dan Henderson sometime in 2009.

In the co-main event at UFC 89, light heavyweight contender Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine eked out a split decision win over the suddenly enigmatic Brandon "The Truth" Vera. The event also featured a memorable welterweight slugfest between Chris Lytle and Paul Taylor, which earned both men a $40,000 "Fight of the Night" bonus. Lytle won by unanimous decision.

Despite its success, UFC 89 fell short of the mark set by UFC 75 "Champion vs Champion", which also aired on tape delay on Spike TV in September 2007. That event, which showcased a light heavyweight championship bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Dan Henderson, drew 4.7 million viewers, making it, at the time, the most-watched mixed martial arts event in North American history.

Here are the results of UFC 89 which held in The NIA, Birmingham, England last Saturday night:

• Michael "The Count" Bisping def. Chris "The Crippler" Leben by unanimous decision

• Keith "The Dean of Mean" Jardine def. Brandon "The Truth" Vera by split decision

• Luis "Banha" Cane def. Rameau "The African Assassin" Sokoudjou by TKO at 4:15 of Round 2

• Chris Lytle def. Paul Taylor by unanimous decision

• Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis def. Paul Kelly by submission (guillotine choke) at 2:16 of Round 2

• Dan "The Outlaw" Hardy def. Akihiro "The Japanese Sensation" Gono by split decision

• Shane Carwin def. Neil Wain by TKO at 1:31 of Round 1

• David Bielkheden def. Jess "The Joker" Liaudin by unanimous decision

• Terry Etim def. Sam "Hands of Stone" Stout by unanimous decision

• Jim Miller def. David Baron by submission (rear naked choke) at 3:19 of Round 3

• Per Eklund def. Samy Schiavo by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:47 of round 3