Mike Chiappetta • E-mail

Rashad Evans walked into the cage with confidence, and walked out with the swagger of a champion.

Now, all he needs is a belt around his waist.

A championship challenge is up next for the former Ultimate Fighter winner, who on this fall night, put on a career-vaulting perfomance at Philips Arena in Atlanta, scoring a highlight-reel second-round knockout over popular ex-champ Chuck Liddell that will likely be replayed for years to come.

"The strategy was going straight for the horns," said Evans (14-0-1). "You can't beat him thinking you're going to take him down all day. Obviously, I wanted to beat him at his own game."

After a lackluster first round in what was essentially a feeling-out process, Evans opened things up in the second, weaving in and out of Liddell's range and landing shots with precision and quickness.

The end came near the cage about midway through the round. Both men cocked back at the same time, but Evans' shot got there first. It was an overhand right, and it landed flush on Liddell's chin. As he connected, Liddell's head jerked violently to the right and he lost control of his body as he limply toppled to the mat. The ex-champ was unconscious as he hit the ground and the referee immediately stepped in to call a halt to the action.

"I'm very happy about that," Evans said. "I hope Chuck's OK. It was a big shot."

Liddell lay prone on the mat for at least two minutes as the ringside physician tended to him, and he eventually got up and shook the hand of his opponent before leaving the cage. The irony in the situation is that Liddell is the one known for his one-punch knockout power, while Evans has no such reputation. Although a January '07 KO kick against Sean Salmon made for a memorable showstopper, Evans has finished only three of his previous 14 fights with a knockout. But the former Michigan State wrestler has shown improvements in his all-around game every time out, and he vaults up the rankings with the statement win, with UFC President Dana White saying afterward that Evans has earned a title match.

""How could you say, 'No, he doesn't deserve the shot' after that?" White said.

Evans had struggled in each of his last two bouts as he's moved up the light-heavyweight talent ladder. First, he fought to a draw with Tito Ortiz in July 2007, before winning a razor-close split decision over Michael Bisping in November 2007. He was forced into a long layoff after Liddell was injured in training for their bout, which was originally scheduled for UFC 85 before being rescheduled. Evans was a heavy underdog but proved he's ready for bigger battles with the stunning KO.

Liddell, meanwhile, is going in the opposite direction, having lost three of his last four fights to drop to 21-6. Before the fight, Liddell had said he hoped to gain a title match out of a win and fight for two to four more years, but the knockout loss may force the 38-year-old to re-evaluate his situation. He's never held a traditional boxer's stance, always keeping his hands low, but in recent matches the tactic has at times backfired as quicker fighters take advantage of his defense.

In another light-heavyweight fighter, Rich Franklin began his move to the division in style, scoring a third-round TKO over Matt Hamill.

The two opponents were at one time training partners, with Hamill originally brought in to help Franklin with his training a few years ago. Later, Franklin returned the favor by recommending Hamill to UFC President Dana White for The Ultimate Fighter series. But the two put their friendship aside temporarily for the fight.

Hamill, known for his wrestling prowess, surprisingly chose to compete in a standup war with Franklin, and the former middleweight champ had no problems picking him apart over the duration of the bout. Hamill had only one successful takedown in the fight, but did little with it as Franklin tried an arm bar and freed himself when Hamill disengaged.

By the middle of the second round, Hamill looked worn down and his boxing stance lacked any explosiveness after Franklin's slew of leg kicks took effect. Still, it seemed like Hamill walked through all of Franklin's best shots, continuing to come forward for more punishment. When the round finished, both men had battle wounds on their faces, with Franklin sporting a gash over his right eye.

Finally, in the third, Franklin scored a finish when he landed a liver kick. Hamill crumpled to the mat and the referee stopped the bout as Franklin landed a couple punches over his fallen friend/foe.

MMA legend Dan Henderson snapped his two-fight losing streak, earning a unanimous decision victory over the dangerous jiu-jitsu practitioner Rousimar Palhares.

Henderson controlled the majority of the fight with solid striking from the outside, and was able to withstand constant submission tries en route to the win.

Palhares had a chance in the second round when he tried to sink in a leglock, but Henderson was able to pull out of the hold and survive.

"My knee was pretty much out the whole time," said Henderson, who earned his first win in the UFC since May 1998. "I wasn't nervous about it, but I knew I didn't want to be there."

Henderson had a marked advantage in the standup. While Palhares threw a wide variety of strikes, his reach disadvantage made connecting a problem. Henderson was content to stand on the outside and unleash his powerful right hand whenever Palhares approached. He spent most of the first two rounds punishing Palhares after stopping takedown attempts.

Former middleweight No. 1 contender Nate Marquardt rebounded from his controversial loss to Thales Leites by manhandling Martin Kampmann with a first-round TKO in just 1:22.

Kampmann actually landed the first noteworthy shot of the fight, landing a hook that briefly staggered his opponent, but Marquardt almost immediately turned the tide with a headkick that connected. Kampmann was hurt, and Marquardt was relentless with his striking, backing the Danish fighter into the corner with a flurry of shots.

Kampmann absorbed many hard shots until Marquardt finished him off with a three-shot combo: body shot, followed by an uppercut and a left hook that caused a referee stoppage.

In a close split decision, Dong Hyun Kim stayed unbeaten when he outpointed Matt Brown in a three-round welterweight tilt.

Kim, the first Korean to fight in the UFC, nearly finished the bout in the first round with a standing rear naked choke, but Brown broke free and seemed to turn the tide in the second round when he took control of the standup utilizing a superior clinch game to land knees to the body.

Kim, however, managed to score a pair of takedowns in the final round and landed the biggest shot of the fight with a left elbow that bloodied Brown under the eye in the last minute. Kim improved to 11-0-1 with the victory.

Karo Parisyan’s fight with Yoshiyuki Yoshida was canceled after Parisyan pulled out with a back injury on Friday.

Full results
Rashad Evans def. Chuck Liddell via TKO, Rd. 2
Rich Franklin def. Matt Hamill via TKO, Rd. 3
Dan Henderson def. Rousimar Palhares via unanimous decision
Nate Marquardt def. Martin Kampmann via TKO, Rd. 1
Dong Hyun Kim def. Matt Brown via split decision
Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares via unanimous decision
Tim Boetsch def. Mike Patt via TKO - Round 1
Jason MacDonald def. Jason Lambert via rear naked choke submission, Round 2
Ryo Chonan def. Roan Carneiro by split decision

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