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UFC 98: EVANS SAVING HIS ENERGY FOR MACHIDA
If there was a lesson Rashad Evans learned from his title-winning victory over Forrest Griffin at UFC 92, it was to conserve his energy.
In post-fight interviews, the light heavyweight champ said he wanted to plunk a bed down in the Octagon; he’d never felt so tired before a fight.
Backstage, he had made the classic mistake of getting too warm, too soon.
“I just felt really good, man,” he told MMAWeekly.com. “I had a good night of sleep, I woke up, had a really good breakfast, and the nerves weren’t really bad. I just felt like I had an abundant amount of energy.
“I came into the dressing room, and the minute I got into the dressing room, I started jumping around right away. I was jumping around when Cheick Kongo was fighting – really, really early. I should have waited a little bit.”
It could have been worse. He could have been Sam Stout, who's UFC 97 bout was moved from first-up to co-main event due to a scheduling snafu on the undercard. Stout was on and off the mitts for six hours.
This time out, Evans wants to make sure he hasn't drained himself before he gets to the cage.
He sees his first defense against Lyoto Machida as an immediate statement in the division.
“Machida’s probably one of the best guys,” said Evans. “I know if I beat Machida, there’s not gonna be too many guys tougher than that in the weight class. I like to go right to the top. I don’t want to delude myself and think that I’m a lot better than I really am. I don’t run away from a challenge like that.”
There’s a mixture of wait and see and indifference about the UFC 98 main event. Historically, the two have been known to counter-fight: Evans with the traditional mix of MMA styles, Machida with a unique point Karate and Muay Thai attack. The question is how they will mesh, and whether it will entertain.
Evans took two rounds to arise from his energy dump against Griffin, and when he did, he quickly mustered the power to end the fight. He may not have that opportunity against Machida.
But whether fans are excited or not, he isn’t interested. While he doesn’t plan on boring the crowd, or himself for that matter, he’s more concerned about what Machida may to do him. The undefeated Brazilian is a riddle that no one has managed to solve, and he might very well not be the one to do it.
“This is a journey, and it’s a challenge for me in every single fight,” he said. “If I knew I was going to win every fight, then I wouldn’t want to fight. I like the fact that there’s a chance that I might get my ass whooped. That excites the hell out of me. That makes me lose a little bit of sleep. That makes me train a little harder. That’s what you need in every fight.”
He’s mum about any Machida weaknesses he plans on exploiting. He and Greg Jackson have formulated a plan, which Evans is willing to throw out the window if things go awry.
“I plan on going into this fight knowing the plan and let it happen,” he said. “Just go with the flow. Machida’s very clever and tricky with his movement, so it’s going to be a chess match.”
Whether chess match translates to stalemate, the world will see. Contrary to the dogfight he anticipated with Griffin, Evans visualizes a sudden, violent ending to the encounter with Machida. And given his recent performances, he has the tape to back him up.
“I see maybe a one-hitter quitter happening,” he continued. “Getting caught with that one shot – boom! Clean.”
The belt at the night’s end is an afterthought. The idea that a victory would make him a “legitimate” titleholder is of no use. Like fans’ shifting allegiances, they distract from what he fights for.
“I haven’t even really thought about it,” he said. “Being a 'legitimate champion,' that’s something for other people. That doesn’t really mean anything to me. Whether I go in and win or lose, it’s not about that to me. It’s just about competing and giving everything you have.”
And as he learned, not gassing before that happens.
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