Doggy Bag: A Different Standard

I’m writing today to pick your brains on Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. I feel that Machida’s footwork and kicks will have Evans off balance all night. Evans has no chance. I guarantee that Machida will win by scores of 50-45 from all judges, perhaps even a 50-44 or two. Back me up on this. You know I’m right.
-- Mark Goldsmith

Brian Knapp, associate editor: Back you up? No can do, Mark. I’d advise you against putting your money where your mouth is on this one. Pitting two unbeaten light heavyweights in their prime against one another, the UFC 98 main event is a betting man’s nightmare.

Evans, the defending champion, has thrived as an underdog. As athletic a fighter as we have in the 205-pound division, he has enjoyed a rapid ascent to the top following his appearance on season two of “The Ultimate Fighter.” Hard to believe he was fighting the Sam Hogers and Sean Salmons of the world not too long ago. Evans trains out of Jackson’s Mixed Martial Arts, along with middleweight contender Nate Marquardt, Keith Jardine, Donald Cerrone and UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre. That he has developed so quickly under the tutelage of Greg Jackson should come as no great surprise. Jackson has turned out one diamond after another at his Albuquerque, N.M., academy.

I’ll be interested to see how Evans approaches his matchup with Machida, an elite stand-up fighter who has proven all but impossible to hit. A former wrestler at Michigan State University, Evans has to utilize his strengths, put Machida on his back and either stop him there or grind out a decision.

Upright, Machida remains a puzzle few can solve. Consider him the sport’s resident Rubick’s Cube. His stand-up skills are impeccable, and Evans’ chances of retaining his title diminish greatly if he cannot corral Machida on the ground. The challenger’s just too skilled and too smart on his feet.

I favor Machida, but it would not surprise me at all to see Evans’ hand raised when the dust settles. He has proven us wrong before. Does Chuck Liddell at UFC 88 ring a bell?