Rashad Evans might be retiring after latest UFC defeat

Ultimate Fighter Championship fighter Rashad Evans is seen at a press conference promoting UFC 156 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2013. (Jessica Ebelhar/Las Vegas Review-Journal)

Rashad Evans celebrates his victory over Chael Sonnen during UFC 167 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, 2013. (Jason Bean /Las Vegas Review-Journal)

UFC Light Heavyweight Ryan Bader is on top of Rashad Evans trying to hold Bader from being hit in the face during the UFC 192 mixed material arts bout at MMA UFC 192, Saturday, Oct. 3, 2015 in Houston, Texas. Ryan Bader defeated Rashad Evans via unanimous decision. (AP Photo/Juan DeLeon)

Former Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has been through defeats and injuries over the last few years, but Saturday night’s loss to Glover Teixeira hit him particularly hard.

Evans was knocked out in just 1:48 in the main event of UFC on Fox 19 in Tampa, Florida, marking only the second time he had been stopped in his illustrious career.

“It’s disappointing to say the least. I’ve been in the sport awhile. I’ve been at the top and I’m riding a real low right now,” Evans said at the post-fight news conference. “When you’re at this point, you need to re-evaluate everything. I don’t want to lose hope and lose my heart in fighting because it’s what I love to do.

“But at the end of the day, something’s got to change. I have to do something better. It’s embarrassing. It’s sad. But welcome to being a fighter.”

Evans has now lost four of his last six fights over a stretch that included missing nearly two years because of injuries.

UFC president Dana White said he thinks Evans will decide to retire. Evans’ biggest rival, former training partner Jon Jones, posted on social media he was sympathetic after watching Evans fight Saturday. “Yeah, I actually felt really bad for him,” Jones tweeted.

Yeah, I actually felt really bad for him. I'm sure he trained really hard for that fight https://t.co/LXrXzatH2G

— Jon Bones Jones (@JonnyBones) April 17, 2016

Evans, who said he felt fine physically after the fight, said he is not ready to make any decisions about his future.

“It’s hard to make a decision on what needs to change fresh off an embarrassing and disappointing loss,” he said. “It’s sad, but you have to go on. It’s easy to fight and go through it when you’re on top and doing everything well. The hard part is working through the disappointment and the doubt in yourself.

“It’s not easy, but I think given some time to sit back and decide where I feel good and what’s best for me, I think I’ll be able to make the right decisions on what needs to change, but right now that’s not a clear thing I can say.”

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj