Knee Injury that Knocked Rashad Evans Out of UFC 170 will Likely Need Surgery

While the initial belief was that former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans would be out of action for about four weeks to rest the injured knee that forced him out of the UFC 170 co-main event with Daniel Cormier, Evans is not that lucky.

He will now be sidelined much longer. Evans reportedly needs surgery.

UFC president Dana White in a Thursday luncheon with members of the media said that Evans was executing a throw in training and got his foot caught up in the mat, which caused the knee injury that forced him out of the fight.

Cormier will now welcome newcomer Patrick Cummins to the Octagon at UFC 170, while Evans goes back to the drawing board.

The initial expectation was for Evans to sit out for a few weeks and rest his knee, but White said that further examination indicates that he needs surgery that will put him out of action for much longer than initially anticipated.

White did not give a definitive timeline for Evans’ return.