Written by Nick Halili | DUB Magazine | June 23, 2009
"I'm an artist," Rashad Evans smoothly asserts, referring not only to his little-known hobby of sketching portraits, but also to his approach to fighting in the UFC. However, with some of mixed-martial arts' most exciting finishes on his record, it is difficult to decide what the undefeated light-heavyweight champion's Mona Lisa truly is. Would it be the devastating head kick on Sean Salmon? Or the brutal overhand right that crumpled UFC legend Chuck Liddell? Or the ground and pound clinic that left previous champ Forrest Griffin on the mat unable to defend himself? Or maybe, like Denzel Washington's Creasy did in Man on Fire, "He's about to paint his masterpiece" when he faces arguably his greatest challenge yet in the undefeated Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 this May.
The former Michigan State wrestler made his initial splash by winning the second season of the UFC's Ultimate Fighter TV show, then took his career to the next level by joining Greg Jackson's Submission Fighting camp, where he's trained with standout fighters such as Keith Jardine, Diego Sanchez, Nate Marquardt, and Georges St. Pierre. Although noted by fans for his explosiveness and athleticism, Evans, who studied psychology at MSU, is fascinated by the mental aspects of the fight game. Rashad talked to DUB Magazine about this, about his heated words with fellow UFC superstar Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, and about his upcoming title defense against Machida:
DUB: What is the most appealing thing to you about competing in MMA?
Rashad: I love the feeling of going against somebody and facing your fears of not knowing what's going to happen. You do anything in life, and no matter how minimal the task is, if you don't know the outcome, you approach the situation with some kind of nervousness in your stomach. And to overcome those feelings of not wanting to face it, it's an amazing process each time because every time you go through the process, it lets you know a little bit more about who you are.
DUB: You seem to have more swagger than almost any fighter in the game today. Do you still get nervous before your fights?
Rashad: Absolutely. I learned something from one of my coaches. He said, "Whenever you're tired, act like you're not. Whenever you're nervous, pretend you're not nervous. Then pretty soon, you're gonna forget that you're fakin'. Fake it 'til you make it."
DUB: Which fight in your career so far has tested you the most, psychologically and physically?
Rashad: I think there's a point in almost every single fight where I have to will myself to win. There's always that point when you're exchanging for a second, and you get caught with a good shot, and you're thinking, "Man that really hurt. I can try to not get hit with that again, and maybe not hit him again," or I can say, "You know what, you're gonna have to take a lot harder shot than that to make me wanna stop trying to beat your ass." A lot of people can't take it. It's like a nightmare when you hit someone as hard as you can, and they keep getting up.
DUB: What has been the toughest fight in your career so far?
Rashad: My fight on the (Ultimate Fighter) show with Keith Jardine. I say that not just because we're teammates, but early in that fight, he swelled up my left eye. I couldn't see anything out of it at all. Every time he'd hit me with his right hand, since I couldn't see it, I would know because I would black out. Just before I was finished off, I would come to. One time he hit me with it, I dropped to the ground, and I was like, "Is the fight over?" But the fight wasn't over.
DUB: Explain how you joined Greg Jackson's camp in New Mexico. Did you know who he was beforehand?
Rashad: I didn't know who he was. Haha, I thought Greg Jackson was black. I forgot who I was talking to, but I told him, "Yeah, I'm gonna go to Greg Jackson's camp to train," and he said, "Yeah, that's right, man, keepin' it with the brothas!" Keith Jardine introduced me to Greg Jackson and the whole camp out there.
DUB: What are your thoughts about your upcoming fight with Lyoto Machida?
Rashad: He a very dangerous striker and he has a very big heart, like myself. He presents so many problems and he does so many things well. He's a cerebral fighter. It's gonna be a chess match until someone finds a chink in the armor, and I think we'll find a chink in his armor first.
DUB: Tell me about that heated staredown with Rampage after he defeated your friend and teammate, Keith Jardine at UFC 96.
Rashad: It kinda got me all lathered up that he beat my guy, then afterwards he was talking shit. He said, "I'm gonna get my belt!" I said, "Motherfucker, this ain't your belt! I had to work hard to get this belt." Then he started saying stuff like, "I'm gonna be well-rested for your ass! I was overtrained for Jardine." He's gonna start discrediting my man right now after he just gave him a tough fight?! I didn't like that.
DUB: You bring a unique, flamboyant style to your fighting, from the head-bobbing and weaving on the Ultimate Fighter TV show to the crotch-grab against Forrest Griffin. Where did that originate?
Rashad: When I wrestled in college, I wrestled the exact same way that I fight. A lot of movement, I would get down on my knees like I was Spiderman. I always had some kind of funk with me whenever I competed in any sports. I kinda think of it like I was an "And 1" basketball player, and my name is Hot Sauce or something. Hit 'em with a nice crossover, and I wanna just look at 'em and smile.
DUB: What do you want to say to those who accuse you of showing bad sportsmanship whenever you do something flashy like that?
Rashad: I get that all the time. I see it like this: If I can't be true to myself, then it really doesn't matter how true I am to everybody else. My style is just an expression of a part of me. That's not all of me, but a part of me is kinda flashy, and silly, and things like that. I can't divorce that part of me because other people don't like it. Every time I go out there and compete, I ask for two things: that me and my opponent don't get hurt, and that God allows me to fight with all of me. With my whole heart. With all of my abilities. As long as I fight and do that, I can handle any outcome.