Evans, Davis on Weight for UFC on Fox 2

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Rashad Evans’ long road back to a light heavyweight title shot reaches the doorstep of Phil Davis in a little more than 24 hours.

Evans tipped the scales at 205 pounds for his pivotal matchup with Davis (205) in the UFC on Fox 2 headliner on Saturday at the United Center in Chicago. The four other men booked for duty on the main card -- it airs live on Fox at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT -- also met their mandated weight requirements at Friday’s official weigh-in, as Chael Sonnen (185) meets “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael Bisping (185) and 2007 Abu Dhabi Combat Club Submission Wrestling World Championships gold medalist Demian Maia (186) answers the bell against fast-rising middleweight prospect Chris Weidman (185).

Having dropped anchor at the Imperial Athletics dojo in Boca Raton, Fla., Evans will carry a three-fight winning streak into the cage with him. The 32-year-old Niagara Falls, N.Y., native last appeared at UFC 133 in August, when he stopped fading former champion Tito Ortiz on a brutal second-round knee strike to the body at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Winner of Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter” reality series, Evans has carved out quite a career for himself, with victories over four former UFC champions: Ortiz, Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson. Evans owns an 11-1-1 mark inside the Octagon.

Davis remains undefeated nine fights into his professional career. The 27-year-old Harrisburg, Pa., native was a four-time NCAA All-American wrestler at Penn State University, where he won a national championship in 2008. After a brief tour on the regional circuit, Davis entered the Ultimate Fighting Championship in February 2010 and proceeded to deliver victories against former WEC light heavyweight champion Brian Stann, world-ranked Swede Alexander Gustafsson and Pride Fighting Championships veteran Antonio Rogerio Nogueira. He has not fought since UFC Fight Night 24 in March, when he defeated Nogueira by unanimous decision at the Key Arena in Seattle.

Fuel TV will carry six of the seven preliminary fights live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT: Evan Dunham (155) vs. Nik Lentz (155), Mike Russow (251) vs. John Olav Einemo (253), George Roop (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145), Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira (144) vs. Eric Wisely (145), Shane Roller (156) vs. Michael Johnson (156) and Joey Beltran (228) vs. Lavar Johnson (252). The lone remaining undercard bout will stream to the UFC’s Facebook page, as “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 11 alum Chris Camozzi (185) locks horns with Dustin Jacoby (185).

UFC on Fox 2 “Evans vs. Davis”
Saturday, Jan. 28
United Center
Chicago

Rashad Evans (205) vs. Phil Davis (205)
Chael Sonnen (185) vs. Michael Bisping (185)
Chris Weidman (185) vs. Demian Maia (186)
Evan Dunham (155) vs. Nik Lentz (155)
Mike Russow (251) vs. John Olav Einemo (253)
George Roop (145) vs. Cub Swanson (145)
Charles “do Bronx” Oliveira (144) vs. Eric Wisely (145)
Shane Roller (156) vs. Michael Johnson (156)
Joey Beltran (228) vs. Lavar Johnson (252)
Chris Camozzi (185) vs. Dustin Jacoby (185)