Rashad: It’s hard to watch the MMA game pass me by
Rashad Evans: “I’m watching my teammates go, and they’re fighting … And it’s not my turn yet. It’s just hard to sit back and watch the whole MMA game pass you by.”
Former UFC heavyweight champion Rashad Evans has not fought since taking out Chael Sonnen in the first, in 2013. He has since gone through multiple surgeries, and is currently three months into rehabilitation from the latest one. “Suga” is 35 years old, and although he can’t spar yet, he still helps out Blackzilian teammates at practice. And he wonders some about the future.
This has probably been the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my entire career – just to sit out, not being able to do too much, not to do what I love to do when I’m in the gym all the time, said Evans to Brent Brookhouse for MMAjunkie. I’m watching my teammates go, and they’re fighting. Naturally, you feel – once you’ve been doing the sport this long – that eventually it’s going to be my turn. And it’s not my turn yet. It’s just hard to sit back and watch the whole MMA game pass you by.
I do like to be here even though I can’t spar; I like to be here with the team. like to give the guys some pointers when I see it. I love to coach. If I can’t fight, then I’ll coach. Being in here with the guys is as close as I can get to it now.
This whole experience has definitely had me thinking about what it’s going to be like when it’s over or what’s next in my life. You can’t fight forever. And, when you’re young – 10 years ago, I never foreseen this coming. I knew it was going to end. I knew it was going to be over. I just didn’t know what the end would be and what it would entail. I’m far from over right now, but this is just a glimpse into my future. When I can’t fight, what’s next for me? Do I just go and have a normal life? Do I coach some guys? What do I do? It’s definitely raised some interesting questions and opened my mind to a lot of different thoughts I didn’t have before.
I want to fight in September. I want to fight around my birthday, Sept. 25. I think that I should be ready by then. I’m three months into my recovery right now, and it feels pretty good.
I don’t want to rush anything because I don’t want to take a chance and hurt myself again. But, at the same time, I am looking forward to going back out there and competing by September.
