Rashad Evans says his "back is against the wall" against Dan Henderson at UFC 161

By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

"This is the type of fight that keeps you up at night, because you want to do well. My back is against the wall, and this is when I perform at my best. In the fight business, you're only as good as your next fight. If you lose two or three then you're done. My manager Bill Robinson always says, 'You're either one fight away from getting a title shot and becoming champion or you're two losses away from being cut from UFC.'"

-Rashad Evans discusses what's on the line for him in his UFC 161 bout against Dan Henderson (via ESPN UK).

Penick's Analysis: Though three straight losses would be a bad thing for Evans, especially if he gives another performance like he did against Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, I honestly don't believe he's close to being cut anytime soon. He's a former champion, he's drawn well on pay-per-view for the UFC for the last several years, and the names he's lost to shouldn't facilitate his release. Still, three straight losses is still three straight losses, and even the most untouchable of fighters gets brought down to earth in that situation. Evans can't risk it, so he needs to be on his game come this June in Winnipeg.

[Rashad Evans art by Grant Gould © MMATorch.com]

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Source: http://www.mmatorch.com/artman2/publish/UFC_2/article_16298.shtml

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