UFC Shocker: Rashad Evans Speaks out
By Sean Farrell
Rashad Evans has become very popular in the MMA world as he is having a rough go at being forced out of a title shot with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua after injuring his knee in training. Then he was replaced in that fight by his younger teammate and friend Jon Jones and was then forced to hear the criticism from his boss UFC President Dana White over both his fighting style and decision to wait for “Shogun’s” knee surgery.
Evans spoke at length recently and addressed a possible source of angst in his life, and his inconsistent, flat performances in the cage. “The thing that keeps me from showing people how well rounded my skills are comes down to the fact that when I get in there I don’t always execute everything I’m capable of, A lot of people when they roll around and grapple with me for the first time are shocked because they weren’t aware that I knew how to grapple like that. Or not even think that I’m that decent at it where I’m pretty good at rolling. Some people don’t realize where my striking is at but I can stand up and strike with the best of them.”
Evans went on and explained that his occasional inability to put it all together results from a mental block and a hesitance to fully engage as a result of not having confidence in his abilities. “The thing about the game of mixed martial arts is that you have to really be comfortable to get in there and let it all blend together. It’s just a mental thing and turning that cage into your playground. When you go out there to fight you have to make it your playground and I can admit there have been times when I haven’t done that, You have to go out there and enjoy yourself to the point where you can do whatever you want because you have the freedom of knowing no matter how the skill comes across I’ll be able to recover. I’m still missing that little piece before I can really transform myself into the fighter that I know I can be. That’s the motivation and that’s what pushes me to keep on going is the simple fact that nobody has really seen me fight yet.”
Evans sounds like a fighter who hasn’t peaked yet, but it could also be a man trying to cover what everyone has been assuming, and that is that Evans may not be dedicated to training to his full potential. I am one to defend Evans however, and he is not a fighter I particularly take a liking too, but Evans is focused and Evans can fight. But it seems to me that Evans doesn’t like the criticism and wants to just be accepted by all for who he is and not what he is and his ability.