Issue 050
June 2009
It’s hard to believe that over three years have passed since Rashad ‘Sugar’ Evans first entered the UFC Octagon.
In 2005, the TUF Season 2 winner was just scratching past the likes of Brad Imes and Sam Hoger. Today he is the light-heavyweight champion of the most prestigious MMA organisation in the world. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Evans, one of the most cerebral fighters in MMA, has come a long way.
For years, fans and industry professionals alike seemed to doubt that the 29-year-old would ever amount to anything significant. A lesson has been learnt: never underestimate Rashad Evans. In the last two years the Michigan resident has not only proven that he belongs in the upper echelons of the 205lb division, but that he can finish some of the biggest names in the UFC, including former champions Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin. Every time the college wrestling standout enters the Octagon, fans are treated to a new and improved fighter.
“I used to get upset watching my old fights,” says Evans, reminiscing about his early MMA career. “My confidence is what’s changed, even more so than my ability. I’ve rediscovered my love for this sport. For a long time it was just a job. I hated training, I hated being in the gym everyday. It was all a routine, you know, going through the motions. But now I love it. I love training and going to the gym. I live it.”
Despite being a UFC champion, Evans, a product of Greg Jackson’s camp, isn’t allowing himself to get comfortable just yet. While he may currently be the biggest fish in the light-heavyweight pond, a pack of hungry sharks are patiently circling him, each one waiting for an opportunity to strike.
His first challenger will be the crafty and unorthodox Brazilian fighter Lyoto Machida. While Shogun Rua or Quinton Jackson would surely present unique challenges for Evans, the elusive style of Machida is possibly the last thing a newly-crowned champion would want to face.
Surprisingly, the prospect of tough competition doesn’t seem to deter Evans. In fact, he welcomes it. The light-heavyweight champion faces a tougher opponent on a daily basis in himself.
“I might be champ, but in my mind I’m still thinking I need to get to the top,” says Evans. “The fact that I’ve got the belt hasn’t changed anything, my life is back to the way it was.”
After a moment of thought, Evans admits that his last statement is not entirely true. As a newly crowned champion and representative of the UFC, new responsibilities (including media appearances) are already falling on his shoulders. Polite, educated, and well spoken, Evans makes the perfect spokesperson for the UFC. While MMA fans will surely scrutinise his every move, Evans won’t let any of that affect his game.
“My mindset going into a fight will never change,” says Evans. “I always see everything, every fight, as a competition against myself. The opponent really doesn’t matter. The face might change, some may be better at certain things that others, but really, when it comes down to it, they’re all the same. The biggest challenge comes from controlling my doubts. I’m my own toughest opponent.”
Though most credit Evans’s freakish athleticism as his greatest asset, the father of three likes to think of his mental traits as his strongest weapon. The newly crowned champion believes that without sheer willpower and determination, his career wouldn’t be where it is today, despite his natural abilities.
“I’m a fighter first, and an athlete second,” states Evans. “Being a fighter is a mindset more than anything. An athlete will use his abilities, but it’ll only get him so far. Once he meets someone with equal or better ability, he thinks ‘Okay, this guy is better than me’ and that’s it, while a real fighter will keep pushing, he won’t quit. I’m definitely a fighter first, then an athlete.”
Evans’s mental fortitude may have something to do with his upbringing. As the fifth of nine children, life was never easy, however his single mother ensured that the high-school football and wrestling standout went on to study at Michigan State. It was there that Evans earned his degree in psychology, hence the champion’s cerebral approach to fighting.
Unsurprisingly, the human mind is an area of great interest for Evans, who is exceptionally well-versed in the mental side of preparing for a fight. Evans places a near obsessive emphasis on “getting his mind right” before starting one of his unique eight-week training camps (a full two weeks longer than a standard camp).
“At this level of the game your mind needs to be right,” says Evans. “You’ve got to be able to focus on your goals and block everything else out. If your mind isn’t right, you’ve really got nothing.”
In order to get into the right mindset, Evans prefers leaving all distractions far behind before starting the core of his training. Unfortunately, this means leaving behind those who he is closest to, namely his wife LaToya and his three children. As training camp time comes around, Evans leaves his home state of Michigan and travels to Albuquerque, where he spends eight weeks with Greg Jackson and his fellow training partners.
“Trying to find the balance between being a fighter and a family man is really tough,” says Evans, with a clear note of sadness in his voice. “It’s hard to dedicate yourself to a sport when you’re at home. Your kids want to play, your wife wants attention. You got to go away, and it’s a really big sacrifice to make. If I have one weakness, one thing I’m scared of, it’s that I won’t be able to balance being a fighter and a family man.”
For now it seems he’s managing, but as the champion’s responsibilities increase, so will the challenges. Even though he already has one of the most important MMA titles in the world, Evans isn’t satisfied. The resident of Lansing has a number of professional goals he is setting out to accomplish this year, as it’s these personal victories that drive the undefeated fighter.
“I write down my goals and my keys to victory every day, says Evans.
“I’m very goal driven. [Since becoming the champion] I’ve already created new challenges in my mind. I know I can’t meet all of my goals, but that’s what keeps me motivated as a fighter. It’s not about preparing for a specific opponent, it’s about seeing myself constantly improving.”
At 29, Evans still has a lot of time for self-improvement, as his physical peak is still years away. Regardless, the Team Jackson fighter tries to make use of every moment. Just a couple of weeks after beating Griffin, Evans travelled to Montreal, Canada, for an intensive training session with welterweight sensation Georges St Pierre. While the time was technically meant for St Pierre, who was preparing for his upcoming rematch with BJ Penn, Evans saw himself improve during the short period as well.
“After Montreal, I’ve already made improvement,” says Evans. “Training with Georges, tying up any loose ends, or perceived loose ends I might have.”
While most fighters aspire to become a champion, Evans is more interested in constantly getting better and at maintaining his dominance for as long as humanly possible. With a flawless record on the line, the pressure is great.
It’s this constant strive for perfection that makes Evans such a dangerous fighter. The self-critical light heavyweight knows what his weaknesses are, and he is quick to fix them. Over the years, Evans has improved in every aspect of his game, going from being a primarily wrestling-based decision machine, to a surprisingly well-rounded mixed martial artist, with the ability to end fights both on the ground and standing. Just ask head-kick victim Sean Salmon.
But, like all human beings, Evans needs and cherishes his time away from work too. A self-described “simple, grounded guy who married his college girlfriend,” the resident of Lansing enjoys spending time with his kids, and of course loves some quality time alone in front of the TV. “I love to watch movies,” says Evans. “The Five Heartbeats, Scarface, Carlito’s Way. Cheesy reality shows too! I can’t help it.”
So when will the quest for self-improvement finally come to an end? When will Evans hang up his gloves, throw away his list of goals, and call it a career?
“I always wanted to retire on top of my game,” says Evans. “I pray that when the time comes, I can retire gracefully. The last thing I want is to keep fighting because I need the money. I want people to think of me as one of the greatest ever. I want them to say ‘this guy had the tools, the athleticism, the mindset – he was a complete fighter.’”
If Evans keeps doing what he’s doing, fans might end up saying just that.
Did you know?
Rashad Evans is a talented barber and hairdresser. “I’m really good at cutting hair, what can I say?”
Prior to becoming a fighter, Evans worked as a security guard in a Michigan hospital, and on a city bus. “I learned a lot of life lessons, lessons you can’t learn in many places.”
Evans lists possums as his greatest fear. “Possums! There’s something disgusting and scary about them. They’re not pretty.”
Rashad Evans on…
His next opponent, Lyoto Machida:
“I love to watch him fight. He’s very tricky, very elusive. He creates a lot of problems for his opponents, but I’m a problem solver. I look forward to meeting him in the Octagon.”
His dream fight
“Anderson Silva at 205lb, definitely. I think it would be a hell of a fight.”
His toughest fight
“It was Keith Jardine [during the filming of TUF], and it would probably be him if it were to happen again. We’re friends, I don’t want to fight him. I’d try to turn it down.”
Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua
“American fans haven’t really seen what Shogun can do. He’s battling the ability to try and find himself in the UFC. Hopefully he finds that second wind before he falls out. I would hate to miss the opportunity to fight him.”
Wanderlei Silva
“I love his raw aggression. Too bad he’s dropping down, I really wanted to fight him.”
