Can the Rampage Jackson-Rashad Evans Fight Live Up to the Hype?

This weekend we'll finally get some sort of closure to the Rashad Evans-Rampage Jackson feud.

Hopefully it will be a vicious knockout of closure.

I'm not really sure where this feud started, but it certainly boiled over on the last season of The Ultimate Fighter , when the two men nearly came to blows every other episode, and their obvious dislike of each other was palpable. 

Personally, I thought it was awesome and it made that season of TUF the most entertaining one ever.

Unfortunately they never got a chance to actually handle their business in the Octagon because of Rampage's meltdown/"retirement" last year.

But now Rampage is back, and not only are he and Rashad locking up this weekend, but it's for a shot at the Light Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, who famously kneed the hell out of Rampage a few years ago.

The UFC has wisely recognized the obvious Heel/Face dynamic between Rampage and Rashad as anyone who has watched five minutes of the UFC Primetime can attest to.

We're treated to scenes of Rashad video chatting with his kids juxtaposed with Rampage howling about how he just ran a personal best 7:35 mile (Which coincidentally I can run faster than, and I'm no world class athlete).

The problem for me with picking a side here is that both of these guys are so damn likable. Rashad is likable because he seems like a down to Earth, hard working, genuine guy. Rampage is cocky, larger than life, and occasionally laugh-out-loud funny.

In the octagon Rampage is much more experienced with a 30-7-0 record compared to Rashad's record of 19-1-1. Rampage has also fought a much more recognizable list of fighters. But Rashad was a National Champion Wrestler and has the luxury of training with the Jackson camp, which has brought in a variety of sparring partners to mimic Rampage's size and strength advantages.

Still, what usually happens when two quality wrestlers meet in the Octagon is a poorly executed boxing match. These two guys are much better strikers than most, plus they've both been talking about knocking the other one out, which makes me think we'll see a Rampage win by KO in the first.

In the end, I believe that this fight will live up to the hype and save an otherwise weak fight card.

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