Rashad Evans Returns to Light Heavyweight, Books New Fight at UFC 225

Rashad Evans is returning to his old stomping grounds at light heavyweight where he will face Anthony Smith in a matchup set for UFC 225 in Chicago on June 9.

UFC officials confirmed the matchup via ESPN on Monday.

Evans will go back to 205 pounds after suffering a pair of losses in his experiment to drop down to the middleweight division. Unfortunately the gamble didn’t pay off and now Evans will be going back to the division he once ruled as champion.

As for Smith, he will also be moving up to light heavyweight after going 4-2 in his most recent stint with the UFC in the middleweight division. Following a knockout loss to Thiago Santos in his last fight, Smith decided that the weight cut down to 185 pounds was just too depleting and he opted to move up to light heavyweight instead.

Now Smith will face a former champion in Evans as the latest fight added to UFC 225 in Chicago.

A main event for the card is still to be determined but a middleweight title fight between Robert Whittaker and Yoel Romero is in the works for the show with another championship bout possibly being added as well.