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Ryan Bader Planning To Make A Statement Against Rashad Evans

August 29, 2015 | Posted by Joseph Lee

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Ryan Bader (19-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) said he plans to make a statement against Rashad Evans (19-3-1 MMA, 14-3-1 UFC) when the two fight at UFC 192. Here are highlights:

On Alexander Gustafsson getting light heavyweight title shot instead of him: “You know, I’m not one to kind of dwell and cry about it. I got over it pretty quickly when I learned I had a fight and I was fighting a name like Rashad. It does suck to have the last two guys get title shots off a loss. But if I look at it on the positive side going into this fight, win or lose I still have a shot at getting a title shot.”

On his fight with Evans: “Going in there I want to go in there and make a statement. I want to go in there and leave no doubt in anybody’s mind that I deserve that next title shot. Whether it’s that I haven’t got it from my last four wins from me not finishing them or whatnot. I know that. MMA is kind of a double-edged sword. I’ve been told to go out there and win at all costs since I was five years old in wrestling. So I bring that to the MMA game. At the same time, you have to be exciting. You have to get finishes and all that stuff too. I’ve been fighting top-tier guys my whole career. Last three fights were guys in the top 10 or top five. Now I’m fighting Rashad. I want to go out there and cap off that five-fight win streak with a big name like Rashad, a former champion, and do it in an impressive way where nobody can say that I don’t deserve that shot.”

On enjoying his job: “I still enjoy fighting the elite of the elite in the top organization. I want to be a UFC fighter. At times like that, where you get passed over, you definitely think of other options. Will I ever get there? I’m doing the right things, I’m going out there and winning. Are they going to hold up their end of the bargain? For me, that’s gone through my mind. But I’ve got a big fight. If we weren’t fighting Cormier and we didn’t get that Anthony Johnson fight like we were trying and Cormier fight got pulled. Gustafsson got it coming off a knockout loss to the guy that just fought for the title. But I got the Rashad fight. He’s a top five guy, he’s a former champion. I just told myself I was going to let everything go and go out there and beat this guy and make a statement. If I don’t get it then, then I don’t know what to do.”

article topics :

Ryan Bader, Joseph Lee