UFC 133 Fight Card: Why Rashad Evans Will Never Wear UFC Gold Again

Originally scheduled to fight Phil Davis, Rashad Evans will now face Tito Ortiz at UFC 133. 

The past year-and-a-half has seen its share of highs and lows for Evans, and in a main event bout that holds implications for both men, a win can bring closure to a tumultuous time in Evans' career. In addition to beating Ortiz, Evans will have rightfully earned the opportunity to contend for the UFC Light Heavyweight title once again. 

But due to the talent the division holds, and the inconsistency of title defenses, it is doubtful that Evans will wear the the title again. 

He undoubtedly has the skill and talent to dethrone the current champion, Jon Jones, but the problem has more to do with Evans himself rather than the competitors that surround him. Evans has not competed inside the Octagon since 2010, when he defeated Quinton "Rampage" Jackson at UFC 114.

Evans decided to wait for then-champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua to heal and preserve his status as No. 1 contender, but ironically Evans suffered an injury as well, forcing him to withdraw from his title bout. Evans' teammate, Jones, was offered to replace him and went on to become the youngest champion in UFC history and ultimately left Evans feeling bitter and betrayed. 

However, Evans' reluctance to remain active have hindered his chances of recapturing the title and it makes it even more difficult to achieve after he sat out for the last 14 months, while in the prime of his career. 

This could prevent Evans from reaching his full potential as a fighter, and while there is only a considerable amount of time to have a career in mixed martial arts, Evans hasn't done himself any favours. 

As a result, it's hard to see Evans recapture the title that some believe he is destined to hold and enjoy a lengthy reign. His selfishness has arguably cost him that chance to be a champion at 205 lbs., but that's not to say he can't achieve success entirely. Evans is a small light heavyweight who could easily make 185 lbs. In fact he could add some depth to the division and potentially become UFC Middleweight Champion. 

That being said, his chances of wearing the title at 205 lbs. are highly unlikely.