Title	Sport
Image file	Sport frontpage no52.JPG
Editor	Simon Caney
Editor title	Editor-in-Chief
Frequency	Weekly (Fridays)
Circulation	304,700
Category	General Sports magazine
Publisher	UTV Media
Firstdate	29 September 2006
Country	United Kingdom (London-wide)
Language	English
Website	sport-magazine.co.uk
Issn	}}

Sport is a free London-based weekly sports magazine. It specialises in football, rugby, tennis, and cricket. With a circulation of 304,700 the magazine is the largest sports magazine in the UK.

It is given to commuters outside railway and London Underground stations and is available in sports clubs and hotels. It is mainly aimed at 20-45 professional males and the Editor-in-Chief is Simon Caney.

It started in France in 2003 as a free monthly and in March 2004 as a weekly. The London edition started on 29 September 2006, the first of its type in the UK and was sold to talkSPORT owners UTV Media (GB) in 2009.

In 2011 the magazine launched an iPad app version, with the full print edition available for download each week plus video and audio features.

References

External links

Sport's official website (sport-magazine.co.uk)

Category:London media Category:British sports magazines Category:Publications established in 2003 Category:Men's magazines

fr:Sport free attitude

{{infobox person | name

Vasil Levski Васил Левски | birth_name Vasil Ivanov Kunchev | image Vasil Levski portrait.jpg | occupation Revolutionary | ethnicity Bulgarian | known_for Internal Revolutionary Organisation | birth_date July 18, 1837 | birth_place Karlovo, Ottoman Empire (now Bulgaria) | death_date February 18, 1873 | death_place Sofia, Ottoman Empire (now Bulgaria) | death_cause Execution by hanging | resting_place Sofia, Bulgaria | religion Eastern Orthodox Christian | signature Vasil Levski signature.svg }}

Vasil Levski, (, originally spelled Василъ Лѣвскій, pronounced ) born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev, (Васил Иванов Кунчев; 18 July 1837 – 18 February 1873), was a Bulgarian revolutionary and a national hero of Bulgaria. Dubbed the ''Apostle of Freedom'', Levski ideologised and strategised a revolutionary movement to liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. Founding the Internal Revolutionary Organisation, Levski sought to foment a nationwide uprising through a network of secret regional committees.

Born in the sub-Balkan town of Karlovo to middle class parents, Levski became an Orthodox monk before emigrating to join the two Bulgarian Legions in Serbia and other Bulgarian revolutionary groups. Abroad, he acquired the nickname ''Levski'', "Leonine". After working as a teacher in Bulgarian lands, he propagated his views and developed the concept of his Bulgaria-based revolutionary organisation, an innovative idea that superseded the foreign-based detachment strategy of the past. In Romania, Levski helped institute the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee, composed of Bulgarian expatriates. During his tours of Bulgaria, Levski established a wide network of insurrectionary committees. Ottoman authorities, however, captured him at an inn near Lovech and executed him by hanging in Sofia.

Levski looked beyond the act of liberation: he envisioned a "pure and sacred" Bulgarian republic of ethnic and religious equality. His concepts have been described as a struggle for human rights, inspired by the progressive liberalism of the French Revolution and 19th century Western European society. Levski is commemorated with monuments in Bulgaria, and numerous national institutions bear his name. In 2007, he topped a nationwide television poll as the all-time greatest Bulgarian.

Historical background

In 1396 or 1422, the medieval Bulgarian Empire had ceased to exist, falling under full Ottoman domination. The inegalitarian Ottoman ''millet'' system had turned the Bulgarians and other Christian subjects into second-class citizens, and the religious differences had created insurmountable cultural antagonism. The empire's 19th-century economic hardships, which prompted its personification as the "sick man of Europe", meant that the Ottoman state's Christian residents suffered more than its Muslim subjects and reforms planned by the sultans faced insuperable difficulties.

Bulgarian nationalism gradually materialised during the mid-19th century with the economic upsurge of Bulgarian merchants and craftsmen, the development of Bulgarian-funded popular education, the struggle for an autonomous Bulgarian Church and political actions towards the formation of a separate Bulgarian state. The First and Second Serbian Uprisings had laid the foundation of an autonomous Serbia during the late 1810s, and Greece had been established as an independent state in 1832, in the wake of the Greek War of Independence. However, support for gaining independence through an armed struggle against the Ottomans was not universal. Revolutionary sentiment was concentrated largely among the more educated and urban sectors of the populace. There was less support for an organized revolt among the peasantry and the wealthier merchants and traders, who feared that Ottoman reprisals would jeopardize economic stability and widespread rural land ownership.

Biography

Early life, education and monkhood

Vasil Levski was born Vasil Ivanov Kunchev on in the town of Karlovo, within the Ottoman Empire's European province Rumelia. He was the namesake of his maternal uncle, Archimandrite (superior abbot) Basil (Василий, ''Vasiliy''). Levski's parents, Ivan Kunchev and Gina Kuncheva (née Karaivanova), came from a family of clergy and craftsmen and represented the emerging Bulgarian middle class. An eminent but struggling local craftsman, Kunchev died in 1844. Levski had two younger brothers, Hristo and Petar, and an older sister, Yana; another sister, Maria, died during childhood.

Fellow revolutionary Panayot Hitov later described the adult Levski as being of medium height and having an agile, wiry appearance—with light, greyish-blue eyes, blond hair, and a small moustache. He added that Levski abstained from smoking and drinking. Hitov's memories of Levski's appearance are supported by Levski's contemporaries, revolutionary and writer Lyuben Karavelov and teacher Ivan Furnadzhiev. The only differences are that Karavelov claimed Levski was tall rather than of medium height, while Furnadzhiev noted that his moustache was light brown and his eyes appeared hazel.

Levski began his education at a school in Karlovo, studying homespun tailoring as a local craftsman's apprentice. In 1855, Levski's uncle Basil—archimandrite and envoy of the Hilandar monastery—took him to Stara Zagora, where he attended school and worked as Basil's servant. Afterward, Levski joined a clerical training course. On 7 December 1858, he became an Orthodox monk in the Sopot monastery under the religious name Ignatius (Игнатий, ''Ignatiy'') and was promoted in 1859 to hierodeacon, which later inspired one of Levski's informal nicknames, ''The Deacon'' (Дякона, ''Dyakona'').

First Bulgarian Legion and educational work

Inspired by Georgi Sava Rakovski's revolutionary ideas, Levski left for the Serbian capital Belgrade during the spring of 1862. In Belgrade, Rakovski had been assembling the First Bulgarian Legion, a military detachment formed by Bulgarian volunteers and revolutionary workers seeking the overthrow of Ottoman rule. Abandoning his service as a monk, Levski enlisted as a volunteer. At the time, relations between the Serbs and their Ottoman suzerains were tense. Militant conflicts in Belgrade were eventually resolved diplomatically, and the First Bulgarian Legion was disbanded under Ottoman pressure on 12 September 1862. His courage during training and fighting earned him his nickname Levski ("Leonine"). After the legion's disbandment, Levski joined Ilyo Voyvoda's detachment at Kragujevac, but returned to Rakovski in Belgrade after discovering that Ilyo's plans to invade Bulgaria had failed.

In the spring of 1863, Levski returned to Bulgarian lands after a brief stay in Romania. His uncle Basil reported him as a rebel to the Ottoman authorities, and Levski was imprisoned in Plovdiv for three months, later released due to the help of the doctor R. Petrov and the Russian vice-consul Nayden Gerov. On Easter 1864, Levski officially relinquished his religious office. From May 1864 until March 1866, he worked as a teacher in Voynyagovo near Karlovo; while there, he supported and gave shelter to persecuted Bulgarians and organised patriotic companies among the population. As his activity caused suspicion among the Ottoman authorities, he was forced to move, and from the spring of 1866 to the spring of 1867 he taught in Enikyoy and Kongas, two Northern Dobruja villages near Tulcea.

Hitov's detachment and Second Bulgarian Legion

In November 1866, Levski visited Rakovski in Iaşi. Two revolutionary bands led by Panayot Hitov and Filip Totyu had been inciting the Bulgarian diasporic community in Romania to invade Bulgaria and organise anti-Ottoman resistance. On the recommendation of Rakovski, Vasil Levski was selected as the standard-bearer of Hitov's detachment. In April 1867, the band crossed the Danube at Tutrakan, moved through the Ludogorie region and reached the Balkan Mountains. After skirmishing, the band fled to Serbia through Pirot in August.

In Serbia, the government was again favourable towards the Bulgarian revolutionaries' aspirations and allowed them to establish in Belgrade the Second Bulgarian Legion, an organisation similar to its predecessor and its goals. Levski was a prominent member of the Legion, but between February and April 1868 he suffered from a gastric disease that required surgery. Bedridden, he could not participate in the Legion's training. After the Legion was again disbanded under political pressure, Levski attempted to reunite with his compatriots, but was arrested in Zaječar and briefly imprisoned. Upon his release he went to Romania, where Hadzhi Dimitar and Stefan Karadzha were mobilising revolutionary detachments. For various reasons, including his stomach problems and strategic differences, Levski did not participate. In the winter of 1868, he became acquainted with poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev and lived with him in an abandoned windmill near Bucharest.

Bulgarian tours and work in Romania

Rejecting the emigrant detachment strategy for internal propaganda, Levski undertook his first tour of the Bulgarian lands to engage all layers of Bulgarian society for a successful revolution. On 11 December 1868, he travelled by steamship from Turnu Măgurele to Istanbul, the starting point of a trek that lasted until 24 February 1869, when Levski returned to Romania. During this canvassing and reconnaissance mission, Levski is thought to have visited Plovdiv, Perushtitsa, Karlovo, Sopot, Kazanlak, Sliven, Tarnovo, Lovech, Pleven and Nikopol, establishing links with local patriots.

After a two-month stay in Bucharest, Vasil Levski returned to Bulgaria for a second tour, lasting from 1 May to 26 August 1869. On this tour he carried proclamations printed in Romania by the political figure Ivan Kasabov. They legitimised Levski as the representative of a Bulgarian provisional government. Vasil Levski travelled to Nikopol, Pleven, Karlovo, Plovdiv, Pazardzhik, Perushtitsa, Stara Zagora, Chirpan, Sliven, Lovech, Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Sevlievo and Tryavna. According to some researchers, Levski established the earliest of his secret committees during this tour, but those assumptions are based on uncertain data.

From late August 1869 to May the following year, Levski was active in the Romanian capital Bucharest. He was in contact with revolutionary writer and journalist Lyuben Karavelov, whose participation in the foundation of the Bulgarian Literary Society Levski approved in writing. Karavelov's publications gathered a number of followers and initiated the foundation of the Bulgarian Revolutionary Central Committee (BRCC), a centralised revolutionary diasporic organisation that included Levski as a founding member and statute drafter. In disagreement over planning, Levski departed from Bucharest in the spring of 1870 and began to actualise his concept of an internal revolutionary network.

Creation of the Internal Revolutionary Organisation

Despite insufficient documentation of Levski's activities in 1870, it is known that he spent a year and a half establishing a wide network of secret committees in Bulgarian cities and villages. The network, the Internal Revolutionary Organisation (IRO), was centred around the Lovech Central Committee, also called "BRCC in Bulgaria" or the "provisional government". The goal of the committees was to prepare for a coordinated uprising. The network of committees was at its densest in the central Bulgarian regions, particularly around Sofia, Plovdiv and Stara Zagora. Revolutionary committees were also established in some parts of Macedonia, Dobruja and Strandzha and around the more peripheral urban centres Kyustendil, Vratsa and Vidin. IRO committees purchased armaments and organised detachments of volunteers. According to one study, the organisation had just over 1,000 members in the early 1870s. Most members were intellectuals and traders, though all layers of Bulgarian society were represented.

Individuals obtained IRO membership in secrecy: the initiation ritual involved a formal oath of allegiance over the Gospel or a Christian cross, a gun and a knife; treason was punishable by death, and secret police monitored each member's activities. Through clandestine channels of reliable people, relations were maintained with the revolutionary diasporic community. The internal correspondence employed encryption, conventional signs, and fake personal and committee names. Although Levski himself headed the organisation, he shared administrative responsibilities with assistants such as monk-turned-revolutionary Matey Preobrazhenski, the adventurous Dimitar Obshti, and the young Angel Kanchev.

Apocryphal and semi-legendary anecdotal stories surround the creation of Levski's Internal Revolutionary Organisation. Persecuted by the Ottoman authorities who offered 500 Turkish liras for his death and 1000 for his capture, Levski resorted to disguises to evade arrest during his travels. For example, he is known to have dyed his hair and to have worn a variety of national costumes. In the autumn of 1871, Levski and Angel Kanchev published the ''Instruction of the Workers for the Liberation of the Bulgarian People'', a BRCC draft statute containing ideological, organisational and penal sections. It was sent out to the local committees and to the diasporic community for discussion. The political and organisational experience that Levski amassed is evident in his correspondence dating from 1871 to 1872; at the time, his views on the revolution had clearly matured.

As IRO expanded, it coordinated its activities more with the Bucharest-based BRCC. On Levski's initiative, a general assembly was called between 29 April and 4 May 1872. At the assembly, the delegates approved a programme and a statute, elected Lyuben Karavelov as the organisation's leader and authorised Levski as the BRCC executive body's only legitimate representative in the Bulgarian lands. After attending the assembly, Levski returned to Bulgaria and reorganised IRO's internal structure in accordance with BRCC's recommendations. Thus, the Lovech Central Committee was reduced to a regular local committee, and the first region-wide revolutionary centres were founded. The lack of funds, however, precipitated the organisation into a crisis, and Levski's one-man judgements on important strategic and tactical matters were increasingly questioned.

Capture and execution

In that situation, Levski's assistant Dimitar Obshti robbed an Ottoman postal convoy in the Arabakonak pass on 22 September 1872, without approval from Levski or the leadership of the movement. While the robbery was successful and provided IRO with 125,000 groschen, Obshti and the other perpetrators were soon arrested. The preliminary investigation and trial revealed the revolutionary organisation's size and its close relations with BRCC. Obshti and other prisoners made a full confession and revealed Levski's leading role.

Realising that he was in danger, Levski decided to flee to Romania, where he would meet Karavelov and discuss these events. First, however, he had to collect important documentation from the committee archive in Lovech, which would constitute important evidence if seized by the Ottomans. He stayed at the nearby village inn in Kakrina, where he was surprised and arrested on the morning of 27 December 1872. Starting with the writings of Lyuben Karavelov the most accepted version has been that a priest named Krastyo Nikiforov betrayed Levski to the police. This theory has been disputed by the researchers Ivan Panchovski and Vasil Boyanov for lack of evidence.

Initially taken to Tarnovo for interrogation, Levski was sent to Sofia on 4 January. There, he was brought to trial. While he acknowledged his identity, he did not reveal his accomplices or details related to his organisation, taking full blame. Ottoman authorities sentenced Levski to death by hanging. Although he was recognised as an instigator of a major armed uprising, the death sentence was based on a Lovech servant's murder that Levski committed while attempting to extort money from a wealthy local. The verdict was carried out on in Sofia, where the Monument to Vasil Levski now stands. The location of Levski's grave is uncertain, but in the 1980s writer Nikolay Haytov campaigned for the Church of St. Petka of the Saddlers as Levski's burial place, which the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences concluded as possible yet unverifiable.

Levski's death intensified the crisis in the Bulgarian revolutionary movement and most IRO committees soon disintegrated. Nevertheless, five years after his hanging, the Russo-Turkish War of 1877–1878 secured the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in the wake of the April Uprising of 1876. The Treaty of San Stefano of 3 March 1878 established the Bulgarian state as an autonomous Principality of Bulgaria under ''de jure'' Ottoman suzerainty.

Revolutionary theory and ideas

At the end of the 1860s, Levski developed a revolutionary theory that saw the Bulgarian liberation movement as an armed uprising of all Bulgarians in the Ottoman Empire. The insurrection was to be prepared, controlled and coordinated internally by a central revolutionary organisation, which was to include local revolutionary committees in all parts of Bulgaria and operate independently from any foreign factors. Levski's theory resulted from the repeated failures to implement Rakovski's ideas effectively, such as the use of foreign-based armed detachments (чети, ''cheti'') to provoke a general revolt. Levski's idea of an entirely independent revolution did not enjoy the approval of the entire population either—in fact, he was the only prominent Bulgarian revolutionary to advocate it. Instead, many regarded an intervention by the great powers as a more feasible solution.

Levski envisioned Bulgaria as a democratic republic, occasionally finding common ground with the ''Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen'', and largely reflecting the liberal ideas of the French Revolution and contemporary Western society. He said, "We will be free in complete liberty where the Bulgarian lives: in Bulgaria, Thrace, Macedonia; people of whatever ethnicity live in this heaven of ours, they will be equal in rights to the Bulgarian in everything. We will have a flag that says, 'Pure and sacred republic'... It is time, by a single deed, to achieve what our French brothers have been seeking..." Levski held that all religious and ethnic groups in a free Bulgaria—whether Bulgarians, Turks, Jews or others—should enjoy equal rights. He reiterated that the Bulgarian revolutionaries fought against the sultan's government, not against the Turkish people and their religion: "We're not driving away the Turkish people nor their faith, but the emperor and his laws (in a word, the Turkish government), which has been ruling not only us, but the Turk himself in a barbarian way."

Levski was prepared to sacrifice his life for the revolution and place Bulgaria and the Bulgarian people above personal interests: "If I shall win, I shall win for the entire people. If I shall lose, I shall lose only myself." In a liberated Bulgaria, he did not envision himself as a national leader or a high-ranking official: "We yearn to see a free fatherland, and [then] one could even order me to graze the ducks, isn't that right?" In the spirit of Garibaldi, Levski planned to assist other oppressed peoples of the world in their liberation once Bulgaria was reestablished. He also advocated "strict and regular accounting" in his revolutionary organisation, and did not tolerate corruption.

Commemoration

In cities and villages across Bulgaria, Levski's contributions to the liberation movement are commemorated with numerous monuments, and many streets bear his name. Monuments to Levski also exist outside Bulgaria—in Belgrade, Serbia, Parcani, Transnistria, Moldova, Bucharest, Romania, Paris, France, Washington, D.C., United States, and Buenos Aires, Argentina. Three museums dedicated to Levski have been organised: one in Karlovo, one in Lovech and one in Kakrina.

Several institutions in Bulgaria have been named in Vasil Levski's honour; these include the football club PFC Levski Sofia, the Vasil Levski National Sports Academy and the Vasil Levski National Military University. Bulgaria's national stadium bears the name Vasil Levski National Stadium. The 1000 Bulgarian leva banknote, in circulation between 1994 and 1999, featured Levski's portrait on its obverse side and his monument in Sofia on the reverse. The town of Levski and six villages around the country have also been named in his honour. The Antarctic Place-names Commission of Bulgaria named an Antarctic ridge and peak on Livingston Island of the South Shetland Islands Levski Ridge and Levski Peak respectively.

The life of Vasil Levski has been widely featured in Bulgarian literature and popular culture. Poet and revolutionary Hristo Botev dedicated his last work to Levski, "The Hanging of Vasil Levski". The poem, an elegy, was probably written in late 1875. Prose and poetry writer Ivan Vazov devoted an ode to the revolutionary. Eponymously titled "Levski", it was published as part of the cycle ''Epic of the Forgotten''. Levski has also inspired works by writers Hristo Smirnenski and Nikolay Haytov, among others. Songs devoted to Levski can be found in the folklore tradition of Macedonia as well. In February 2007, a nationwide poll conducted as part of the ''Velikite Balgari'' ("The Great Bulgarians") television show, a local spin-off of ''Greatest Britons'', named Vasil Levski the greatest Bulgarian of all time.

There have been motions to glorify Vasil Levski as a saint of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. However, historian Stefan Chureshki has emphasised that while Levski's post-monastical life was one of a martyr, it was incompatible with the Orthodox concept of sainthood. Chureshki makes reference to Levski's correspondences, which show that Levski threatened wealthy Bulgarians (чорбаджии, ''chorbadzhii'') and traitors with death, endorsed theft from the rich for pragmatic revolutionary purposes and voluntarily gave up his religious office to devote himself to the secular struggle for liberation.

Vasil Levski's hanging is observed annually across Bulgaria on 19 February instead of 18 February, due to the erroneous calculation of 19th-century Julian calendar dates after Bulgaria adopted the Gregorian calendar in 1916. Although the location of Levski's grave has not been determined, some of his hair is on exhibit at the National Museum of Military History. After Levski gave up monkhood in 1863, he shaved his hair, which his mother and later his sister Yana preserved. Levski's personal items—such as his silver Christian cross, his copper water vessel, his Gasser revolver, made in Austria–Hungary in 1869, and the shackles from his imprisonment in Sofia—are also exhibited in the military history museum, while Levski's sabre can be seen in the Lovech regional museum.

References

Footnotes

Bibliography

. |chapter=ЛЕВСКИ , Васил (В. Иванов Кунчев, Дякона, Апостола) (6/19.VII.1837-6/18.II.1873) }}

External links

''Pure and Sacred Republic'' — Levski's letters and documents Online edition of Vasil Levski's personal notebook Vasil Levski in Haskovo Vasil Levski Museum in Karlovo Vasil Levski Foundation

Category:1837 births Category:1873 deaths Category:People from Karlovo Category:Bulgarian revolutionaries Category:Bulgarian Orthodox Christians Category:Bulgarian priests Category:Bulgarian educators Category:Eastern Orthodox monks Category:People executed by the Ottoman Empire Category:People executed by hanging Category:19th-century Bulgarian people Category:19th-century executions Category:Bulgarian expatriates in Romania Category:Levski Sofia

bg:Васил Левски cs:Vasil Levski de:Wassil Lewski el:Βασίλ Λέβσκι es:Vasil Levski eo:Vasil Levski fr:Vassil Levski it:Vasil Levski hu:Vaszil Levszki mk:Васил Левски pl:Wasyl Lewski pt:Vasil Levski ro:Vasil Levski ru:Левский, Васил simple:Vasil Levski sr:Васил Левски sv:Vasil Levski tr:Vasil Levski uk:Васил Левський

name	Rashad Evans
birth name	Rashad Anton Evans
birth date	September 25, 1979
birth place	Niagara Falls, New York, United States
other names	Suga, Sugar, Suga Shad
nationality	American
height
weight lb	204
weight class	Light Heavyweight (205 lb) Heavyweight (265 lb) (The Ultimate Fighter)
reach in	75
stance	Orthodox
fighting out of	Boca Raton, Florida, United States
team	Imperial Athletics
rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Black belt in Gaidojutsu
wrestling	NCAA Division I Wrestling
years active	2004–present
mma kowin	6
mma subwin	2
mma decwin	9
mma koloss	1
mma decloss	1
mma draw	1
am win	2
am subwin	1
am decwin	1
occupation	Professional Mixed martial arts Fighter
university	Michigan State University Niagara County C.C.
spouse	LaToya
children	3
relatives	Lance Evans, ''brother''
school	Niagara-Wheatfield High School
url	http://www.rashadevans.tv/
sherdog	10200
updated	July 22, 2011 }}

Rashad Anton Evans (born September 25, 1979) is an American mixed martial artist from Niagara Falls, New York, currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Evans won the heavyweight division of ''The Ultimate Fighter 2''. Evans lost the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship to then undefeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 98. As of November 2011, Evans is currently ranked as the #3 Light Heavyweight fighter in the world by Sherdog and Yahoo! Sports.

Mixed martial arts

Early career

In 2004, under the tutelage of veteran wrestler and MMA fighter Dan Severn, Evans competed in five professional mixed martial arts fights, winning all five. This led to his selection as one of the nine heavyweights to compete on ''The Ultimate Fighter 2'', a reality TV series on Spike. The season began airing on August 22, 2005, culminating in a live finale between the final two fighters of each weight division, held in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 5, 2005.

The Ultimate Fighter

At and , Evans was the shortest and the second-lightest of the nine heavyweight competitors. He was considered the underdog in each of his fights, but made it to the finals by defeating Tom Murphy, Mike Whitehead, and Keith Jardine all by decision. During his tenure on the show, Evans was criticized by opposing coach Matt Hughes for his showboating during fights, but the two eventually settled their differences, and Hughes even cornered Evans for his semifinal bout. In the finale, Evans defeated Brad Imes by split decision, thus winning a three-year, six-figure contract with the UFC and a brand new car. After ''The Ultimate Fighter'', Evans joined Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting camp along with fellow competitor Keith Jardine, who would eventually become his training partner and good friend.

Ultimate Fighting Championship

Evans dropped down to light heavyweight after the show, deciding he would have a better chance of success in a lower weight class. His first fight under the contract took place on April 6, 2006 against Sam Hoger, who had been a semi-finalist on ''The Ultimate Fighter 1''. Evans defeated Hoger via split decision despite nearly falling victim to a kimura submission at the end of the second round.

Evans followed with a victory by majority decision over ''The Ultimate Fighter 1'' finalist Stephan Bonnar on June 28, 2006. Evans maintained control throughout the fight with repeated take downs, including a number of slams in the center of the cage and went on to secure the victory. Three months later, Evans faced Jason Lambert at ''UFC 63''. Lambert, riding an eight-fight win streak, was seen as Evans's first real test at 205 pounds. Evans controlled the fight from early on, and knocked Lambert out with punches from the mount in the second round. It was his first stoppage victory in over two years.

Evans next headlined ''UFC Fight Night: Evans vs Salmon'' against UFC newcomer Sean Salmon, a highly decorated collegiate wrestler who held a 9–1 professional record. Though Salmon had won the first round by scoring two takedowns, Evans came back with a head kick knockout early in the second round. Salmon remained motionless for several minutes after the fight and was eventually carried out on a stretcher to a local hospital. The kick came to the surprise of many fans who had previously considered Evans a one-dimensional wrestler.

At ''UFC 73'', Evans squared off against former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Tito Ortiz. The two competitors fought to a draw as all three judges scored the bout 28–28. Ortiz had won two out of three rounds on all scorecards, but was deducted a point for holding the cage fence to defend against a takedown by Evans. Immediately after the fight, Ortiz asked for a rematch. At a press conference following ''UFC 73'', UFC President Dana White promised a rematch, which didn't occur until UFC 133. Instead, Evans made his debut as a headliner on a pay-per-view event at ''UFC 78'' against fellow undefeated fighter and ''The Ultimate Fighter 3'' winner Michael Bisping. After three close rounds, Evans came out on top on two of the judgess' scorecards, winning by split decision. This fight marked Bisping's first loss and his final bout in the light heavyweight division. After his win over Bisping, Evans drastically changed his fighting style, which he kept secret until his fight against UFC Legend Chuck Liddell.

Evans vs. Liddell

Entering the fight as a very heavy underdog, Evans shocked the world by knocking out former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in brutal fashion at ''UFC 88''. Liddell threw an uppercut that Evans countered with an overhand right, landing flush. Liddell remained unconscious for several minutes before finally walking out of the cage under his own power. The knockout was awarded knockout of the year by Sherdog for 2008. Evans had previously been scheduled to face Liddell at ''UFC 85'' as a replacement for the injured Mauricio Rua. When Liddell pulled out of the event due to an injured hamstring, Evans was matched with James Irvin. When Irvin pulled out after breaking his foot, the fight was removed from the card altogether. After the fight, UFC President Dana White confirmed in the post-event press conference that Evans's next fight would be a title shot against newly crowned light heavyweight champion Forrest Griffin at ''UFC 92''.

Winning the Light Heavyweight Championship

On December 27, 2008 at ''UFC 92'', Evans faced champion Forrest Griffin for the UFC light heavyweight belt. Griffin controlled most of the first two rounds with effective striking and low kicks. In the third round, however, Evans caught a low kick and countered with a straight right hand that dropped Griffin. Evans followed Griffin to the ground and eventually managed to finish the stunned champion with punches inside Griffin's guard. With the victory, Evans became the new UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion. It capped off a year in which Evans won Fighter of the Year honors from Sherdog.com.

Losing the title

Evans' first defense of the UFC Light-Heavyweight title against challenger Lyoto Machida ended in a knockout. During a flurry of punches from Machida, Rashad started trash talking Machida telling him 'his hands were made of pillows'. Machida continued his onslaught, knocking the champion out. This was the first loss of his career and the 15th straight win of Lyoto Machida's career. Then, Evans went on to coach against Rampage Jackson in ''The Ultimate Fighter: Heavyweights''. Evans was scheduled to fight Jackson on December 12, 2009, at UFC 107, but this was canceled due to Jackson being cast for the A-Team movie. On September 22, 2009, Jackson wrote in a blog on his website that he is "done fighting" because of events that occurred between Jackson and Dana White, the president of the UFC. Thiago Silva was named as Evans' next opponent at UFC 108.

Back into title contention

Evans fought Thiago Silva in the main event of UFC 108 on January 2, 2010. Dana White was quoted as saying that if Evans could defeat Thiago Silva at UFC 108, then he would go on to face Quinton "Rampage" Jackson. During the Spike TV broadcast of the UFC 108 preliminary card, Evans confirmed that he received his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu black belt under Rolles Gracie that morning. Evans would go on to defeat Thiago Silva – another BJJ black belt – by unanimous decision. Deviating from his usual standing and striking, Evans displayed his grappling skills with numerous takedowns that frustrated Silva throughout the match, but Evans failed to damage Silva substantially while on the ground. In the third round, after severely mocking his opponent's fighting style with various taunts, Silva connected with a right hook to Evans' jaw, rocking him. Silva hesitated in finishing Evans off in order to return the taunting, however, and Evans was able to recover leading to a UD win. Evans was expected to finally face rival Quinton Jackson at UFC 113, but the bout took place on May 29, 2010 at UFC 114.

Evans caught Rampage with a right hand early in the first round and throughout the rest of the fight tried to take Rampage down, succeeding three times out of nine. In the third round Rashad was hurt by Rampage but recovered and ended the final round with another takedown and strikes on the ground. The judges scored the bout 30–27, 30–27, 29–28 giving Rashad the unanimous decision. Afterwards UFC President Dana White then officially confirmed that Rashad Evans would square off against Maurício Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight title, but not until mid-Spring or early-Summer of 2011 as Rua recovered from knee surgery. The fight was then booked for the main event of UFC 128 when the UFC returned to Newark, New Jersey.

Following Rashad's training partner Jon Jones' victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 126, it was announced that Evans injured his knee during training. Jones was then told in his post-fight interview that the UFC wanted him to replace Evans in his fight against Mauricio Rua for the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Jones accepted and the fight was set for UFC 128. It was then expected that if Jones won, he would face Evans in his first title defense.

During a UFC 128 post-fight interview with Ariel Helwani, Evans stated that he was done training at Jackson's Martial Arts in preparation for his fight with Jon Jones. He then commenced training at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida, at a new camp co-founded by Evans and several Brazilian fighters who had concomitantly left American Top Team due to a dispute over management services; these were later joined by some African-American fighters, and as a result the camp's members became known colloquially as the "Blackzilians," especially on twitter. Evans gave further insight to MMAWeekly about his leaving Jackson's Submission Fighting, “When you get to a certain point, you really need a lot of time (with the coaches)… make sure you get the one-on-one, and you just need different things,” he explained. “After being at Jackson’s for a while, with so many people at the gym, it just got harder and harder for me to get that time."

Evans/Jones was expected to take place on August 6, 2011 at UFC 133, but Jones was sidelined with a hand injury. Evans was expected to face rising prospect Phil Davis at the event instead. A title fight between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes was delayed, so the UFC promoted Evans vs. Davis to serve as the main event. However, with less than four weeks until the event, Davis pulled out of the bout citing a knee injury. A rematch with Tito Ortiz was scheduled to headline the event. Evans defeated Ortiz at UFC 133 via TKO in the second round. The victory secured Evans a title shot against Jones.

Evans and Jones were rumoured to finally clash on December 10, 2011 at UFC 140. However, a lingering thumb injury cost Evans another title opportunity, and he was replaced by Lyoto Machida to fight Jon Jones for the belt at UFC 140. Jones retained the Light Heavyweight belt, defeating the challenger Machida, leaving open the possibility of a future fight between Evans and Jones for the title.

Evans faced Phil Davis on January 28, 2012 at UFC on Fox 2. He won the fight via unanimous decision. Evans out-wrestled the former division one national wrestling champion landing numerous takedowns throughout the fight.

In his second title shot, Evans faced UFC Light Heavyweight champion Jon Jones on April 21, 2012 at UFC 145. He lost the fight via unanimous decision.

Personal life

Evans and his ex-wife (according to UFC Primetime) have one son Rashad Jr, and a daughter Nia. He also has a daughter, Tahja, from a previous relationship.

Evans' brother Lance made a brief appearance on ''The Ultimate Fighter: Team Nogueira vs Team Mir'', but was eliminated by Vinicius Magalhaes due to a rib injury and did not join the cast. Evan's also has another half brother, Guishad Laguerre who lives in Massachusetts. The two keep in touch regularly. They also have a famous saying, "Simp"

Evans has appeared in a Microsoft commercial, where he says the lines, "You got a problem with that!" and "I'm a PC!", while sparring with an unidentified opponent. Evans is a frequent commentator on the ESPN show MMA Live. Evans also made an appearance on Spike TV's show Deadliest Warrior. In the episode, Evans easily pierces a pig carcass with the xyston similar to one used by Alexander the Great, and crushed a gel torso's throat with an elbow.

Championships and awards

Amateur wrestling

Niagara Wheatfield High School

4th place New York State High School Wrestling Championships 145 lbs 1997, 171 lbs 1998

National Junior College Athletic Association

Junior College National Champion 165 1b – out of Niagara County Community College (2000)

Mixed martial arts

Gladiator Challenge

*GC Light Heavyweight Tournament Winner

Ultimate Fighting Championship

*UFC Light Heavyweight Championship (One time)

*The Ultimate Fighter 2 Heavyweight Tournament Winner

*Knockout of the Night (Two times)

*Fight of the Night (Two times)

Sherdog

2008 Fighter of the Year

2008 Knockout of the Year against Chuck Liddell

FIGHT! Magazine

2008 Knockout of the Year against Chuck Liddell

Sponsorships

MusclePharm

Jaco

Mixed martial arts record

The UFC counts two amateur bouts in the The Dangerzone MMA promotion, as well as Evans' three victories in ''The Ultimate Fighter 2'', resulting in a record of 22–2–1 for Evans according to the UFC; however, the N.S.A.C. has instructed record keepers that all fights on ''The Ultimate Fighter'' are considered exhibition matches; therefore, Evans' official professional MMA record is currently 17–2–1.

|- | Loss |align=center| 17–2–1 |Jon Jones |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 145 | |align=center| 5 |align=center| 5:00 |Georgia, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 17–1–1 |Phil Davis |Decision (unanimous) |UFC on Fox 2 | |align=center| 5 |align=center| 5:00 |Illinois, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 16–1–1 |Tito Ortiz |TKO (knee to the body) |UFC 133 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 4:48 |Pennsylvania, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 15–1–1 |Quinton Jackson |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 114 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 14–1–1 |Thiago Silva |Decision (unanimous) |UFC 108 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |Nevada, United States | |- | Loss |align=center| 13–1–1 |Lyoto Machida |KO (punches) |UFC 98 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 3:57 |Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 13–0–1 |Forrest Griffin |TKO (punches) |UFC 92 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 2:46 |Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 12–0–1 |Chuck Liddell |KO (punch) |UFC 88 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 1:51 |Georgia, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 11–0–1 |Michael Bisping |Decision (split) |UFC 78 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |New Jersey, United States | |- | Draw |align=center| 10–0–1 |Tito Ortiz |Draw (unanimous) |UFC 73 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 10–0 |Sean Salmon |KO (head kick) |UFC Fight Night 8 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 1:06 |Florida, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 9–0 |Jason Lambert |KO (punches) |UFC 63 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 2:22 |California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 8–0 |Stephan Bonnar |Decision (majority) |UFC Fight Night 5 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 7–0 |Sam Hoger |Decision (split) |UFC Fight Night 4 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 6–0 |Brad Imes |Decision (split) |TUF 2 Finale | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |Nevada, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 5–0 |Jaime Jara |Decision (unanimous) |GC 27 | |align=center| 3 |align=center| 5:00 |California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 4–0 |Hector Ramirez |Decision (unanimous) |GC 27 | |align=center| 2 |align=center| 5:00 |California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 3–0 |Bryan Pardoe |TKO (punches) |GC 26 | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:24 |California, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 2–0 |Danny Anderson |Submission (punches) |Dangerzone | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 3:09 |Iowa, United States | |- | Win |align=center| 1–0 |Dennis Reed |Submission (punches) |Dangerzone | |align=center| 1 |align=center| 0:50 |Iowa, United States |

See also

List of current UFC fighters

References

63. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-btaGHkL-Y

External links

Official UFC Profile

Rashad Evans profile at the National Wrestling Hall of Fame

MMATrailers.com

Category:The Ultimate Fighter winners Category:1979 births Category:American mixed martial artists Category:Light heavyweight mixed martial artists Category:Living people Category:American practitioners of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Category:African-American mixed martial artists Category:Michigan State Spartans athletes Category:People from Lansing, Michigan Category:Mixed martial artists from Michigan Category:Mixed martial artists from New York Category:Ultimate Fighting Championship champions Category:American sport wrestlers

de:Rashad Evans fr:Rashad Evans it:Rashad Evans ja:ラシャド・エヴァンス no:Rashad Evans pl:Rashad Evans pt:Rashad Evans simple:Rashad Evans fi:Rashad Evans sv:Rashad Evans uk:Рашад Еванс

Pat or Patrick Barry may refer to:

Patrick Barry (bishop) (1868–1940), American Roman Catholic bishop

Patrick Barry (martial artist) (born 1979), K-1 kickboxer, sanshou practitioner, and mixed martial art fighter

Patrick Barry (horticulturist) (1816–1890), American horticulturist

Pat Barry (hurler) (born 1951), hurler and Gaelic footballer

See also

Paddy Barry (disambiguation)