Photo Album - Rashad Evans Fights Safe, Thiago Silva Gives Up in Disappointing UFC 108 Main Event

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Fighters.com’s fourth-ranked light heavyweight “Sugar” Rashad Evans (14-1-1) defeated tenth-ranked Thiago Silva (15-2) by unanimous decision with scores of 29-28 three times at UFC 108 in Las Vegas Saturday night.

“Thiago Silva was a tough opponent.  He was legit all the way around,” said Evans after winning.  “I just wanted to go out there and give the fans a good fight.”

But, though it was an exciting matchup of styles on paper, it couldn’t have been more disappointing in the Octagon.  Go figure.

Evans jitterbugged around Silva, throwing combinations to set-up shots.  That tactic was affective with Evans scoring takedown after takedown in rounds one and two.  Silva didn’t sprawl out of Evans’s shots until round three, but consistently scrambled back to his feet after every Evans takedown.  In round one, Evans even took full mount over Silva; but, Silva was able to wrestle himself erect.

“I need to train more wrestling, because takedowns are hard for me,” Silva exclaimed in the dressing room after the fight, throwing his hands to his head, then to the ground.

Evans said, “That was the big thing, to stick to my game plan, to go back to my wrestling, to go back to what made me strong in the division.”

Twice Silva raised his hands above his head and goaded Evans into a brawl.

But, Evans wasn’t biting.  “He tried to coax me out a little bit, use the crowd against me…but I’m too seasoned for that.”

Silva’s frustration culminated in Silva mimicking Evans’s jitterbug in round three.  Ironically, it was Silva’s most successful tactic.  After a right hook landed square, he had Evans doing the “stanky leg” reminiscent of Evans’s loss to Fighters.com and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion “Dragon” Lyoto Machida (16-0) at UFC 98 in Las Vegas May 23.

“I didn’t really think I was rocked because I felt like I rolled with the punch,” said Evans after the fight.

Silva pounced and landed several more shots to Evans’s head, but gassed out in the process.  Knowing he needed a stoppage for a “W” after losing the first two rounds, Silva didn’t have the will or stamina to finish Evans when the opportunity to steal the fight and earn a title shot was spread out on the Octagon mat before him.  Silva gave up.

Silva admitted after the loss, “I had a hard time defending his wrestling.  It tired me out a lot.”  About not being able to finish when the win was within his grasp, Silva added, “I just couldn’t.  I have no excuses.”