True prize still awaits Rashad Evans after UFC on Fox 2 victory

Evans rolls past Phil Davis to set up Atlanta showdown with rival Jon Jones

Jan 28, 2012 (11:30 p.m.)

By Case Keefer

CHICAGO — The man that Rashad Evans spent 25 minutes battering Saturday night at the United Center was not his enemy. Evans’ real enemy peered over the fight from a television perch 25 yards away. The satisfaction Evans felt after a unanimous decision victory, in which he took all five rounds on all three judges’ scorecards, at UFC on FOX 2 had nothing to do with beating previously undefeated Phil Davis.

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  Chael Sonnen praises Michael Bisping, trashes Anderson Silva

  January 29, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  Chael Sonnen approached Michael Bisping moments after their middleweight title eliminator bout at UFC on Fox 2 ended and asked him how he thought the judges scored the contest. Bisping believed he had won by securing the first two rounds. Sonnen shockingly didn’t completely disagree and responded by saying, "You might be right." Luckily for Sonnen, the judges saw it the other way. Sonnen defeated Bisping by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) to keep his position as the top contender in the 185-pound division.

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  UFC on FOX 2 blog: Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen keep top-contender status

  January 28, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  CHICAGO — Rashad Evans and Chael Sonnen were both already considered the second-ranked fighters in their divisions before Saturday night at the United Center. They used UFC on FOX 2 to further prove they were deserving. Evans and Sonnen won unanimous decisions on national television.

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  UFC on FOX 2 weigh-in: Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping are main attractions

  January 27, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  Chael Sonnen has frequently referred to his UFC on FOX 2 bout with Michael Bisping as the card’s “true main event” over the last two weeks. The scene at Friday’s weigh-in at the Chicago Theatre may have proven that fans feel the same.

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  Phil Davis ready for the primetime at UFC on FOX 2

  January 26, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  CHICAGO — Comparing Phil Davis to Jon Jones has always been inevitable. The light heavyweights are two of the most athletic fighters to ever transition to the octagon from heralded amateur wrestling careers. Neither Jones nor Davis has ever truly lost a fight in mixed martial arts. At this point, most assume Jones, the 24-year old UFC champion, is a tad ahead of Davis, the 27-year old ranked in the 205-pound division’s top five, in every fighting category. Davis may have Jones beaten, however, in a peripheral are — dealing with the pressure of pre-fight animosity.

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  Michael Bisping fed up with Chael Sonnen’s shtick at UFC on FOX 2

  January 26, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  CHICAGO — Like a freestyle rapper, Chael Sonnen spent Thursday afternoon entertaining a large group of people by spitting out improvised rhymes. The middleweight fighter had all but one person at the W Hotel for the UFC on FOX 2 press conference laughing hysterically as he belted out odes to his own bravado in front of a fake UFC championship belt. The outlier was his opponent, Michael Bisping, who found the whole scene more sickening than humorous.

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  Fatherhood, UFC title run in sight for Evan Dunham

  January 25, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  Evan Dunham used to return home after long days of training at Xtreme Couture and immediately begin thinking more about fighting. The local UFC lightweight would ponder areas he still needed to work on and replay workout sessions in his mind. It was an exhausting routine. “I think, in the past, I obsessed over training a little bit too much,” Dunham said. “This time, it’s been nice to take my mind away here and there.”

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  UFC on FOX 2 breakdown, betting odds and picks

  January 25, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  Not many mixed martial arts fans are giving Phil Davis a shot to upset Rashad Evans in the main event of Saturday's UFC on FOX 2 card in Chicago. Sports books only opened the undefeated Davis as a slight underdog when the UFC announced the bout, but lopsided money has pushed Evans' line up to nearly -200 (risking $2 to win $1) three days before the light heavyweight fight. The Las Vegas Sun's picks panel illustrates the kind of support Evans is drawing.

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  UFC on FOX 2: A rundown of the promotion’s next network television card

  January 18, 2012

  By Case Keefer

  Two of the biggest fights available for the UFC to stage in 2012 are Chael Sonnen challenging Anderson Silva for the middleweight title and Rashad Evans facing Jon Jones for the light heavyweight belt. Neither bout is guaranteed to happen. The potential challengers, Evans and Sonnen, must first get through significant tests at UFC on FOX 2 on Jan. 28, at the United Center in Chicago.