Rashad Evans Coming Out of Retirement, Looking to Compete in Boxing or MMA

Speaking to ESPN, former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans announced his decision to come out of retirement and once again compete in MMA or boxing. Rashad Evans previously retired from MMA in 2018 after losing his last five UFC fights.

According to Evans, he looking to fight in boxing against former heavyweight champion Roy Jones Jr. or YouTuber Logan Paul. Most recently, 52-year-old Jones competed in an exhibition match against Mike Tyson last November. Meanwhile, Logan Paul fought Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition match earlier this month.

Evans said to ESPN: “Those are the names we came up with. I’ve been watching Logan and his brother, Jake, and it’s been impressive what they’ve been able to generate from an audience standpoint. It just kind of bothers me they’re out here killing it. I see them fighting these people and I’m just like, ‘This can’t be real. They’re out here really beating people at this?’

He added, “I have a hard time wrapping my mind around it. They can’t be this good, and I want to test it out. We’ve been speaking with Roy [Jones Jr.], and my management has talked to Logan’s people, but it’s all in the preliminary stages.”

With regards to MMA, Evans stated: “I’m primarily looking at boxing, but if something came up that made sense as far as MMA, that’s what I’m training every day,” Evans said. “But it’s a different physical tax on my body, versus only doing boxing … [Money] goes into this decision. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t. At the end of the day, I’m a prize fighter. But at the same time, it’s not the whole picture. I enjoy competing.”

Evans fought in the UFC from 2005 to 2018. He also won the heavyweight tournament on his season of The Ultimate Fighter 2. He competed at both light heavyweight and middleweight in the Octagon. His MMA record stands at 19-8-1. At UFC 92 in December 2008, Evans knocked out Forrest Griffin to capture the UFC light heavyweight title.