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Rashad Evans knows he'd beat Anderson Silva, not gunning for 'bittersweet' fight

8K views 108 replies 38 participants last post by  xRoxaz 
#1 ·
With UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva seemingly running short on contenders in his own division, fans and pundits alike have begun to look at other classes to bring him a proper challenge.

Rashad Evans (17-2-1 MMA, 12-2-1 UFC) is one the of the names being tossed about, but "Suga" isn't so sure he'd take the fight – even though he feels confident he'd walk away victorious.

"I'm not a good matchup for him," Evans told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I'm sure he's not chomping at the bit to fight me. He doesn't really have anything to gain from fighting me, so I don't know if he would even want to fight me. I don't know why he would go out of his way to fight somebody like me. If the UFC is not going to make him fight me, then I don't see why he would fight me.

"Besides that, I love Anderson. He's a great guy outside of the cage, and he's one of my favorite fighters to watch inside the cage. To me, to fight him would be a little bittersweet because I know I would beat him. I know I would beat him."

The 5-foot-11 Evans actually made his UFC debut as a heavyweight, defeating Brad Imes in the final bout of "The Ultimate Fighter 2" to claim that season's tournament title. He immediately dropped to light heavyweight, where he became UFC champion in 2008 with a win over Forrest Griffin. He would later surrender the title to Lyoto Machida, and he recently failed in a bid to gain it back by losing a unanimous decision to former friend and training partner Jon Jones.

That was nine months ago, and Evans admits he needed a little time away from the sport to again find his motivation.

"After you climb the top of the mountain and you don't get where you want to go and you kind of fall down a bit, it takes a little bit of a mental break to help to kind of recuperate and get yourself feeling right to get back out there and climb that mountain again," Evans admitted. "I did find the motivation again, but it was difficult.

"That fight with Jones, it took a lot out of me emotionally more than anything. Not having the results I wanted, it was a bit of a heartbreak for me. It was just more a relief that that part was over in my life. I had to kind of come to peace with everything and the way things happened, and it was kind of closing a chapter in my life. That was something important for me to have happen."

Evans kept busy by working with FUEL TV as a UFC analyst, and he hopes he can transition in a full-time broadcasting gig when his fighting days are over. But he's not ready to make that switch just yet.

Instead, he now meets Antonio Rogerio Nogueira (20-5 MMA, 3-2 UFC) at this weekend's UFC 156 event in Las Vegas. The bout serves as the co-main event on the evening's pay-per-view broadcast.

Evans is a heavy favorite in the fight, and some pundits wondered aloud why the fight was booked with "Little Nog" struggling through a 1-2 stretch. However, Evans said the fight booking provided plenty of motivation for him, and he's looking forward to competing against such a respected opponent.

"I have huge respect for the Nogueira brothers and the legacies that both of them have created," Evans said. "At the end of the day, when my career is said and done, I want to say that I competed against some of the best guys in the business, and he's somebody that I consider one of the best guys in the business. He and his brother are both legends, and I'm excited to compete against him.

"'Little Nog' took some time off, and I think that kind of refreshes the body both physically and mentally. With the time off and a fresh feel, not to mention the fact that he's got incredible heart, I'm expecting a good fight. I'm going to go out there and put on a good performance and bring it."

But what comes next isn't exactly clear. His fight with Jones was one of the most anticipated of 2012, but the champ's victory was undeniable. A rematch wouldn't seem to be in the cards for quite some time, but Evans isn't fully letting go of the possibility.

"I still watch Jon, and I love to see him fight," Evans said. "I love to see his creativity. I still watch him, and I still want to get a chance to fight him again. I know and I believe that if I fight him again, things will definitely be different. I feel like I've got what it takes to beat him. I've studied his game, and I know it. I feel like it would be a different fight this time around.

"I'm just excited to climb the ladder again, and however long it takes, it takes, but I'm a student of the game, and that's what I want to continue to be. I want another chance to fight for the belt, and when I do, it will be worthwhile for me."

So what about a quick trip to middleweight for a meeting with Silva? While fans have asked about it, the matchup doesn't seem to be a part of the UFC's immediate plans. And for that matter, Evans isn't even sure he could make the weight.

"I would have to do a practice cut and see what would happen before I even would agree to something like that," Evans said. "It's kind of hard for me to make 205 sometimes. So 185, I don't know what I'd have to do. I'd probably have to lose some weight in my legs or something, and I don't know how to do that."

He's also not looking past the challenge ahead of him this weekend, even if others might be.

"They're overlooking Nogueira, but I'm not," Evans said. "They've already got me winning the fight and wanting to fight at 185. But for me, it's first things first, and that's fighting Nogueira. That's the only thing I really care about right now. Anderson is I guess a fantasy fight. It has to be the right deal for it to even happen.

"It's just a matter of getting that belt back around my waist. I just want to go out there and compete with the best guys. If I get a chance to fight Jon Jones or Anderson Silva or whoever may have the belt at the time, that's what it's about. I just want to go out there and compete and have fun competing."

For more on UFC 156, stay tuned to the UFC Rumors section of the site.
http://www.mmajunkie.com/news/2013/01/rashad-evans-knows-hed-beat-anderson-silva-not-gunning-for-bittersweet-fight
 
#2 ·
Yeah okay Rashad.

I can't think of a more annoying group of people on the planet than pro fighters.


No pro fighter has ever lost a fight, they aren't afraid of anyone, they always have an excuse or some sort of reason for poor performances, etc.


Just shut up already. Get in the cage and show you won't get knocked the **** out like you did against Lyoto and then you can talk about all these imaginary matchup fits you'd give him like the last 4 guys Anderson disposed of.


At least he isn't as annoyingly brazen as Chris Weidman.
 
#79 ·
No Rashad... No

What the hell sort of thing to say is that? Anderson would murder him and that will be the general consensus until Rashad proves otherwise.

What a stupid thing to say. This is why I don't like Rashad.
What is wrong with someone saying they think they can beat Anderson Silva? What are they "Supposed" to say?

"If I fight Anderson, I think I will lose"

Rashad is a former champion and a well proven fighter. I do think he has a legitimate chance of beating Anderson Silva. That being said, if the fight happens, I think Anderson's timing and quickness will eventually shut Rashad down and I think Anderson will finish, even if Rashad employs the same gameplan he did against Rampage. But my point is that there is nothing wrong with having the confidence to beat the best in the world, especially when you're not the best match-up for him.
 
#4 ·
If Rashad can handle the cut, I don't see why he wouldn't be able to handle Anderson.
 
#11 ·
So he is going to sit there and say Anderson isn't chomping at the bit to fight him. Yet he is the one who mentioned the possible move and can easily make it...yet he is fighting a guy ranked considerably lower than him at 205.

That makes sense...

Does Rashad have a good style to win, yes. I agree. But he sounds like an idiot calling a guy scared basically yet he isn't even at the weight. Chael at least was at 185, beat top guys one by one while calling him out. Rashad is an idiot who will say this now then will stay at 205 anyway.

Take a number and get in the back of the line, Anderson has 10 fights to run through all of you fools.
 
#13 ·
Evans is one of my favorite fighter along with Anderson, he should just move to HW, I would hate to see what Anderson does to him. As good as Evans is he will try to trade punches with Silva, and that is when he will get beat down like he did vs Machida. Anyone can argue Evans is a great wrestler and has the style to beat Silva, but we all know he's too cocky and mentally weak to use his wrestling all five rounds.
 
#19 ·
As good as Evans is he will try to trade punches with Silva, and that is when he will get beat down like he did vs Machida. Anyone can argue Evans is a great wrestler and has the style to beat Silva, but we all know he's too cocky and mentally weak to use his wrestling all five rounds.
Well he won't have Greg Jackson giving him the worst gameplan ever. So that's a positive.
 
#16 ·
Rashad gets tagged and dropped by everyone. Anderson Silva won't flail and miss like a acid using botard like Rampage, or not even bother to try and finish like Thiago.

Silva would humiliate him, as would Jon Jones if they were to meet again. All Rashad is is talk lately, he's done absolutely nothing.
 
#18 ·
"I'm sure he's not chomping at the bit to fight me. He doesn't really have anything to gain from fighting me, so I don't know if he would even want to fight me. I don't know why he would go out of his way to fight somebody like me. If the UFC is not going to make him fight me, then I don't see why he would fight me."
me me me me me me mememememeeeeeeeee
 
#21 ·
Rashad has horrible gameplans so I think he would lose he would try and trade and get Ko'd will doing rocked crappy TD attempts, not everyone is sonnen who has the balls to get in anderson's face and punch him in the face and take him down like he is as mortal as anyone, also rashad doesn't have a better chin than chael.
 
#23 ·
And those 2 are probably the 2 best he has fought which tells me he is not smart when gameplanning against the best and anderson is better than both.
 
#46 ·
TDs don't finish fights.

Anderson, like in the Chael fights, has 5 rounds to find something. Probably his chin.

Listen, I think Rashad has just as good of a chance as Weidman, maybe more (I actually think Weidman is much bigger than Rashad, and stronger). But if he isn't going to 185 this is all senseless thought. Maybe he wanted to get 1 easy enough win at 205 then challenge ANderson right away. Who knows. He makes little sense, which tells me he himself doesn't feel like getting KO'd. He goes and gets KO'd quick at 185 his career is in jeopardy as far as getting a top fight anytiime soon. He probably wants to accumulate some more wins and hope Bones leaves.
 
#75 ·
I don't think Rashad will run in but I do think that he will stay out of trouble long enough to secure some takedowns. Whether or not he can keep that going and get a win, who knows.

And I disagree about Chael and JBJ. I think Chael gets finished without doing much damage if any.
 
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