Evans confident heading into UFC on FOX 2 bout vs. Davis

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Story by Anthony Springer Jr.

To say that Rashad Evans (16-1-1) is confident heading into his UFC on Fox 2 bout with Phil Davis might be the understatement of the year. But when you’ve got wins over Chuck Liddell, Forrest Griffin and “Rampage” Jackson, you can call yourself a top-ten fighter.

Still, it’s not like Davis (9-0) is a slouch, but it’s clear that Evans expects to roll over the still-green, but surging prospect.

Take yesterday’s pre-fight press conference for example. Evans was in rare form. When the subject of wrestling—pure wrestling—came up, Evans suggested that Davis, an amateur wrestling champion from Penn State, was “trash” on the mat. “Suga” even went so far as to declare that he’d have beaten Davis if the two squared off in college.

“Cocaine’s a hell of a drug,” Davis responded to the claim.

Evans has been in rare form leading up to the bout. On Wednesday’s phone conference, the former 205-pound champ made it perfectly clear that while Davis is good, fans can expect to see the upstart get steamrolled tomorrow night.

“Davis is intimidated,” Evans said. “I’ve seen him around and he’s not looking too confident. He’s not ready for this level, and he knows it. He’s coming to put up a good show, go back down a level, and come back again in a year or two. He’s not coming to take it to me, but I am gonna’ take it to him. After I had my year off (with injury) I came back with the attitude of never, ever leaving it up to the judges and just throwing hands all the time. That’s the way my career is going to go, and that’s how I am going to.”

Evans is—rightfully—the favorite heading into the bout that likely determines whether or not he gets the long awaited title shot against former training partner turned rival Jon Jones. It’s in the former Michigan State wrestler’s best interest to dispose of Davis swiftly and emerge unscathed since the champion is eyeing a return to action this spring (likely at UFC 145 in March). That would leave Evans with less than eight weeks to train for what would be the biggest bout of his career.

So maybe all this talk is self-hype. Or maybe he really believes the things he says about Davis.

“Phil is just a nice guy. He’s not a fighter. He’s an athlete, a great athlete, but not a fighter. He has no killer instinct for this and he’s got no experience at this level. He’s never fought at heavyweight like I had to (in TUF 2) to get into the UFC. He didn’t get punched by Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson like I did. He’s not had to dig deep at all.”

Either way, Evans says he’s going to give Davis a fitting welcome to the Octagon when the cage door closes.

“He’s in deep water, and I’m the shark.”
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January 27th, 2012

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