Rashad Evans eyeing UFC title shot after beating Ryan Bader

Rashad Evans has been sitting on the sidelines watching the light heavyweight division go through changes due to a knee injury that put him out of action for nearly two years. The former champion will make his return at “UFC 192” on October 3rd and will be going up against top-ranked Ryan Bader on the stacked main card.

Seeing as the only other challenger could be Anthony “Rumble” Johnson who already fought the current champion, Evans/Bader could have title implications. Despite being out of action since November 2013, “Suga” is eyeing a shot at gold with a win this Saturday.

“I want to go out and show I’m still at the top of the division,” Evans told the media during a UFC 192 conference call. “I need to find my rhythm and find all the things I need to do to win so I can sleep at night. Ryan Bader has been looking good lately. [Beating] Ryan puts me in-line to get to DC.”

Cormier will be defending his UFC Light Heavyweight Championship for the first time against Alexander Gustafsson on the main event. Although Gustafsson is coming off a loss, he received the nod for a title shot over Bader. If Gustafsson wins the championship at UFC 192, it could create a log jam as the last person to defeat “The Mauler” was “Rumble” Johnson.

Evans has been training hard for this opportunity; He came up short against Jon Jones and he doesn’t want to miss another shot at the gold. “I’m excited to show everyone what I’ve been working on the last two years besides being injured. The biggest key was training smart with the same intensity,” Evans said. “I had to reform some things in my training, but I completed this camp without any injuries.”

Who do you think will win their light heavyweight matches at UFC 192? What will be the next light heavyweight fight? Share your thoughts and make your predictions in the comment section below!

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Transcribed by MMA Mania