Will a two-year layoff show for Rashad Evans when he does battle with an in-shape Ryan Bader?
The answer to that may very well be known when the two iconic heavyweights collide this coming October at UFC 192, which will be held at the Toyota Center in Houston.
Evans has not been in the Octagon for nearly two years. He last fought and won via TKO over Chael Sonnen in late 2013 but has since been sidelined with an ACL injury in 2014.
Prior to his sidelining, Evans was on a two-match winning run. Prior to Sonnen, Evans also won over Dan Henderson.
Evans had been long rumored to return and has been linked to possible opponents Alexander Gustafsson and Glovier Telxeira. None of those matches have materialized, but this time Evans will be returning for real. UFC president Dana White officially announced the match on Fox Sports 1' UFC.
On the other side, Bader is expected to give Evans a rude welcome. Bader is on a winning rampage as well, coming off wins over Anthony Perosh, Rafael Cavalcante, Ovince Saint Preux and Phil Davis.
At stake for Evans and Bader is most likely a match against Daniel Cormier, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion. The odds seem to be stacked against Evans, who has spent most of the last two years rehabilitating his injured knee. Bader also seems to be in the best form of his career owing to his string of victories heading into UFC 192.
Aside from Bader vs. Evans, other matches that could be made include Cain Velasquez and Cormier. Those remain up in the air for now as their probable opponents have to be determined.
Velasquez will try to get back on track after falling to Fabricio Werdum at UFC 188 while Cormier will most likely face Alexander Gustafsson.
