Rashad Evans Looks Forward to Bisping Clash

Rashad Evans is expecting fireworks when he fights Michael Bisping at UFC 78: Validation. Although he expects the Briton to improve on his last performance, Evans is confident of victory. Evans told the Daily Star he is not underestimating Bisping:

“The minute you start thinking along those lines you end up getting your ass kicked. If I go in there thinking Bisping didn’t look great in his last fight, or hasn’t reached my level, I will end up waking up in the dressing room asking people how come I got beat.”

In his last fight, Michael Bisping beat Matt Hamill at UFC 75: Champion vs Champion in London. Although he won on points, many observers thought that Hamill had done enough to get the decision. Evans told the Daily Star that this controversy could work in the favour of his opponent.

“I think the criticism will actually fire him up to give the performance of his life. Bisping underestimated Hamill. Because Matt Hamill is known as a wrestler, Michael must have trained for nothing but wrestling in his training camp. I thought Bisping lost to Hamill but understand how the judges scored it for Bisping. It was a tough fight and, while Michael wasn’t doing his best stuff in there stand-up wise, I felt that Hamill just didn’t capitalise on some of the positions he got. If I get into those same positions, I will do everything to finish the fight and keep the fight out of the hands of the judges. You never know what kind of things the judges are looking for. He actually arrived in the Octagon for that fight looking rusty in the things he is usually best at – punching and kicking. I don’t think he is going to make that mistake with me.”

Like Michael Bisping, Rashad Evans was involved in a judges’ controversial decision in his last fight. Evans drew with Tito Ortiz at UFC 73: Stacked in Sacramento, California. The similarities between the fighters do no end there. Both men came to prominence after appearing on the reality show: The Ultimate Fighter. Rashad Evans won the second season of the show. He beat the giant Brad Imes in the final. Imes has recently gone on to record some decent form. On his way to the final, Rashad also beat the conqueror of Chuck Liddell, “The Dean of Mean”: Keith Jardine.. Michael Bisping won the fourth season of the show, beating Josh Haynes in the season finale. During the filming, Bisping’s rivalry with Matt Hamill developed. Matt Hamill was forced to drop out of the show due to injury.

Evans is expecting a tough fight against Bisping, but he is confident of winning:

“If I fought the Michael Bisping that came in against Hamill, I think I would win inside three rounds. But I am not expecting that Bisping. I am expecting a really fired-up, aggressive Bisping and I know I will have to weather the early storm in New Jersey.”

UFC 78: Validation takes place on Saturday, November 17, 2007 in Newark, New Jersey.