LFA veteran Gabriel Checco will be welcoming former UFC champion Rashad Evans back to the cage at Eagle FC 44 on January 28.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion and Hall of Famer Rashad Evans has drawn an opponent for his first fight in over three years as he takes on LFA veteran Gabriel Checco at Eagle FC 44 on January 28. ESPN was first to report the news.
Checco (12-5) is a 35 year old fighting out of Las Vegas by way of São Paulo, Brazil. Though he has nearly 20 MMA fights to his credit, “Zangief” is perhaps best known for his resume on the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu scene as he’s had matches with the likes of Gordon Ryan, Craig Jones, and Mason Fowler. In MMA, Checco last fought in October where he defeated Simon Marini in XMMA.
Evans (19-8) will be fighting for the first time since 2018. A former light heavyweight champion, the 42 year old Evans announced his retirement after an 0-5 skid that saw him face the likes of current champion Glover Teixeira, future two division Bellator champion Ryan Bader, and Anthony Smith. A regular analyst on ESPN for the UFC, Evans had discussed his desire to take a boxing bout before the announcement that he would be part of Eagle FC.
Eagle FC 44 will be the first event for the promotion in the United States and will be headlined by Muay Thai star Tyrone Spong against Bellator veteran Sergei Kharitonov.
