It’s not uncommon for art to imitate life. History is littered with examples of teachers and students falling out and ending up on opposite sides. And that is sort of what happened with UFC champions Daniel Cormier and Rashad Evans.
It’s a story the two now look back on and laugh about, considering the passage of time and how their rivalry played out eventually. Evans was a huge inspiration to him early in his career. Cormier pointed out that Evans was the first person to introduce him to the sport of mixed martial arts and made him believe that it could actually provide him a livelihood.
This was a period in time when amateur wrestlers had to look at other sources of income once their Olympic dreams had come to an end. However, Evans told DC that he would be great in front of a camera, which would not only help him during his fighting career but also guide him into his post-retirement journey as a broadcaster. Despite all this help ‘DC’ revealed that he turned on Evans the first chance he got and said,
“Literally was the most inspiring human being in fighting for me (Evans). I go to 205 and immediately ask to fight him. Chael it is what it is. I immediately ask to fight him, I stuck that knife right in his back.”
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Unfortunately for Cormier, he did not get his wish as the fight never happened. However, this feud ended up breaking up their camp as team members had to choose sides. Evans ended up moving across the country to form his own camp.
However, now that years have passed since, then, DC admits that the matchup would have been really tough.
The hardest DC has ever been hit
‘DC’ has faced some of the hardest punchers in MMA. From Derrick Lewis to the late Anthony Johnson, he has been at the receiving end of a few really powerful shots. During his fight with Johnson, DC had been punched so hard with an overhand that he literally flew across the octagon.
DC quickly got up and continued fighting but later joked that he was so embarrassed that he hoped nobody saw it.
However, nothing jogs his memory like the time Evans smacked him with an overhand right. Yes, the very same one, that put the legendary Chuck Liddel on his back and ended his career.
But it wasn’t power that made it special. DC asserted that he was completely taken aback by just how fast Evans managed to catch him.
The former UFC double champ described it as feeling almost like an overhand slap, quick and unexpected, hitting him right on the edge of his chin. It threw off his balance, leaving him struggling to regain control of his legs. Cormier humbly admitted that he was lucky not to get knocked out, saying he probably should’ve been.
His fight with Evans would have been a really interesting match but alas, the latter had to pull out of the fight courtesy of a torn ACL just 10 days before UFC 170.
