Rashad Evans: I might have fallen down, but I deserve a chance to fight for the belt
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has experienced the biggest downslide in his storied UFC career as of late, and he is facing the dreaded three-fight losing streak when he climbs into the Octagon to face Dan Henderson at UFC 161 from Winnipeg.
Many think that Evans has lost the fire he once had, perhaps brought on by the demoralizing defeat at the hands of Jon Jones at UFC 145. ‘Suga’ followed up that effort with a lackluster, head-scratching decision loss to Lil Nog where he did not look anything like his usual self. And while Evans is getting up there in age for a top-level fighter, he’s not letting that stand in his way of toppling another legendary fighter:
“I had a chance to compete against some of the best mixed martial artists of all-time: Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin, Machida, Rampage Jackson, Tito Ortiz, Jon Jones, now Dan Henderson.”
“I’m excited about the opportunity to fight Dan Henderson. He’s definitely on the top of that list of some of the hall of famers I’ve competed against.”
Indeed the fight is pivotal for both aging superstars, as a win keeps the victor relevant at 205 while the loser is kind of stuck in a no-man’s land. Evans has been derided recently for his departure from his effective wrestling, which used to be his go-to tactic. It appears Evans may know that himself, and looks poised to make a return to what brought him his success:
“I know what I want to do to get the results I want. I trust and myself and want to get it done. Takedown, ground and pound, roll up our sleeves and get dirty. Go to work. I’m gonna try to get fifty take downs this fight. Fifty. If get him on the ground, I want to ground and pound him till he’s done.”
“I’m not going to go in there and try to stand in front of him and bang it out and hope to God I don’t get hit with that big right hand. I’m going to be smart. He’s gonna want to knock me out. It’s not gonna happen. He’s not knocking me out.”
Could be the best gameplan for Rashad, as looking to trade with Dan Henderson seldom yields positive results for any fighter. Truthfully, Evans could be right back in the mix at light heavy should he win impressively over Hendo. He may not be able to defeat Jon Jones, but isn’t going to stop from climbing the mountain once again:
“I’m not going anywhere. I might have stumbled a little bit, fallen down, but I get myself back up, dust myself off. I’m a top competitor. I deserve a chance to fight for the belt.”
Evans appears to have regained his focus with a good gameplan in hand. A win over Hendo will be necessary to stay in the top 5 in the ultra-competitive 205 lb. division. Will ‘Suga’ stay relevant at UFC 161?
Check out his official UFC 161 interview below:
