By Ryan Kester

UFC on Fox: Evans vs. Davis
Aired live on Fox from the United Center in Chicago, Illinois

Randy Couture and Jon Jones joined Curt Menefee for pre-fight commentary.

1. Demian Maia (15-3) vs. Chris "The All-American" Weidman (7-0) [Middleweight Division]

Round One: 10-9 Weidman. The fighters were pretty evenly matched in their striking game and they were both equally aggressive. Weidman landed more significant strikes, however, and he scored a late takedown to take the round.

Round Two: 10-9 Weidman. Rinse and repeat of the first round, but Weidman has found his range. Weidman was much more aggressive, scored another late takedown, and ended the round with a guillotine attempt.

Round Three: 10-9 Weidman. Both men were extremely gassed at this point, and they ended up looking like they were trying to fight under water. Weidman scored more strikes again, including several solid knees from a Muay Thai clinch.

Official Decision: 29-28 Weidman, 29-28 Maia, 29-28 for the winner via split-decision, Chris Weidman.

Ryan's Rant: That can't be what the UFC wanted out of their first fight of the year on Fox. I can understand Weidman being exhausted from a short term weight cut, but that fight won't convince any new viewers that MMA is a hot sport.

2. Chael Sonnen (27-11-1) vs. Michael "The Count" Bisping (23-3) [Middleweight Division]

Round One: 10-9 Bisping. Sonnen scored a couple of takedowns, but Bisping controlled the striking and kept Sonnen clinched against the cage for most of the round. Sonnen may have taken Bisping down, but Bisping fought up quickly and Sonnen wasn't able to do much with his positioning.

Round Two: 10-9 Bisping. Much closer round than the first, but Bisping still controlled the standing game. Sonnen held his position longer after his takedowns, but Bisping was able to accomplish much more and he has been fighting his fight.

Round Three: 10-9 Sonnen. Sonnen controlled this entire round. He scored an early takedown, took Bisping's back, and then transitioned into full mount. Sonnen was unable to put Bisping away, however, and Bisping escaped the mount in the last minute of the round.

Official Decision: 30-27, 29-28, 29-28 for the winner by unanimous decision, Chael Sonnen.

Ryan's Rant: That was a surprise for me. The judges obviously put more stock in Sonnen's ability to take the fight to the ground than Bisping's overall control. No matter who you had, those were three rounds of very entertaining fast-paced MMA. Sonnen and Bisping both obviously wanted to take on Anderson Silva, and they gave that fight everything they had.

3. "Suga" Rashad Evans (21-1-1) vs. Phil "Mr. Wonderful" Davis (9-0) [Light Heavyweight Division]

Round One: 10-8 Evans. Evans dictated the pace of the first round, controlled where it went, scored more strikes, and took Davis down. Once there, Evans caught Davis in a lengthy crucifix and landed strike after strike.

Round Two: 10-9 Evans. Evans continued to control the standing game and was much more accurate with his strikes than Davis. Evans ended the round with a takedown and another transition into the crucifix mount.

Round Three: 10-9 Davis. Evans still landed some significant strikes, but Davis managed to score a few takedowns and held positioning.

Round Four: 10-9 Evans. Both men appear to be gassed. Davis went for several takedowns this round, but he didn't have the energy to commit and Evans stuffed them. Evans had more accurate strikes and took Davis' back late in the round.

Round Five: 10-9 Evans. AS with the previous rounds, Evans fought his fight and scored accurate strikes. He rocked Davis a few times, and even had him back in a crucifix, but Evans was unable to get the finish.

Official Decision: All three judged scored the fight 50-45 for the winner by unanimous decision, Rashad Evans.

Ryan's Rant: That fight didn't light the world on fire. I can appreciate the display that Evans put on, but Davis looked like a fish out of water. This cannot be the main event the UFC had hoped for.

Overall Show: This was not the type of show the UFC needed to have for new viewers. There was plenty for regular MMA fans to enjoy, but there was little excitement outside of the Sonnen/Bisping fight. UFC needed a card full of exciting fights that would catch people's attention, and the main card simply didn't deliver in that capacity.

If you have any questions or comments or just wish to chat with a fellow UFC fan about whatever, then feel free to email me at ryan.kester@gmail.com, or follow me on Twitter at @TheRyanKester.

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