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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
In an article from Franklin McNeil at ESPN.com over the weekend, former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans made some curious statements regarding his frustration in waiting for his title shot with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. However, Evans contends that his comments were misconstrued, and he took to Twitter this morning to try to set the record straight. Here's what Evans had to say:
"Let me address this article that was put out.. First of all [I'm] not impatient about waiting [for] Rua [to] heal especially since it was my choice [to] wait! The UFC did offer me a fight since Rua was gonna [be] out so long against Lil' Nog. But I turned it down cuz the fight made no sense [to] me. A fight with Machida would've made more sense but they matched him up with Rampage. Dana White told me from the beginning they wouldn't do [an] Interim belt. So [at] that point I decided I [would] wait. [Now] in this article it makes me sound as if I'm upset about waiting which is not the case. What frustrated me was I was hearing conflicting stories of when he was coming back. One moment Dana would say May then in the article he said the fight is scheduled [for] March. Also [Rua's] manager said he will [be] out maybe longer than June. So I was frustrated on how the dates [are] ranging. But like I said I chose [to] wait. But [if] I had a clear idea on when the return may happen then it would effect choices I take. I'm all fighter I'm not afraid [to] fight anybody! My record would show that! I've fought some of the best men in my era & lost once. And [for] the last time I never got offered [to] fight Machida [for an] Interim belt. Ed Soares did an article saying it would [be] a good idea."
Rua is expected to return in March despite the conflicting reports, and the two will meet for the Light Heavyweight Championship.
Penick's Analysis: Evans' comments in McNeil's piece were obviously not taken well, but his explanation here makes more sense as to why he's frustrated. If he's getting different stories and different reports about when he's supposed to be fighting than he's understandably upset about that. Still, the comments about wanting the UFC to give him an Interim Title bout or he'd never want to fight for the title again are still strange statements to make, despite this frustration.
[Rashad Evans art by Cory Gould (c) MMATorch.com]
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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