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Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame on July 5 during International Fight Week, the promotion announced Saturday night. Evans, 39, retired from mixed martial arts in 2018 after a 14-year professional career. He has remained involved in the sport as a UFC analyst and mentor to active fighters, including welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. Born in Niagara Falls, New York, Evans made his UFC debut in 2005 as a contestant on the second season of "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series. His notoriety rose in 2007 and 2008 when he fought some of the biggest names in the sport, including Tito Ortiz and Chuck Liddell. Evans claimed the UFC's 205-pound championship by knocking out Forrest Griffin at UFC 92 in December 2008. He went on to surrender the belt in his first attempted defense, against then-undefeated Lyoto Machida. A former collegiate wrestler at Michigan State University, Evans was involved in some of the most memorable rivalries in the sport's history. His non-title bout against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in May 2010 was a massive commercial success. He also had a one-fight rivalry with former teammate and all-time great Jon Jones in 2012. Evans retired with an overall record of 19-8-1.
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