HOUSTON, TX - OCTOBER 01: Rashad Evans interacts with media during the UFC 192 Ultimate Media Day at the Toyota Center on October 1, 2015 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Rashad Evans graciously met with members of the media in Tampa Saturday, after getting knocked out by Glover Teixeira at UFC on FOX's main event. Despite having recently recovered from knee surgeries and a two-year-long layoff, the former champion said he had no excuses for losing.
"Physically, I feel good. was just a rattled, at first. my body feels good, my knee feels good. I felt like I had a good bounce going early," Evans said.
"I felt like everything was on point. I have no excuses physically speaking. he just caught me with a good punch. No excuses."
Early on, Evans said he believed he could take on Brazilian Teixeira's hellacious punching power. "I felt like I could handle it," he admitted.
"When he sat down on that left hook I didn't know the fight was over until [referee] Herb Dean was in my face."
Though despite putting out an honest effort, Evans admitted to being in a bad place mentally post-fight.
"I sit here and I'm embarrassed and disappointed," he said.
"I've been in this sport for awhile. I've been at the top and I'm riding a real low right now. When you're at this point right now, you have to re-evaluate everything. I don't want to lose hope and lose heart. This is what I like to do ... At the end of the day, something has got to change. I've got to do something better. It's embarrassing, it's sad. Welcome to being a fighter."
Though Evans went on to say that it was too soon to know what exactly he intends to change in his career. "It's hard to make a decision on what needs to change, fresh after an embarrassing loss," he continued.
"It's not easy but I think that, given some time sitting back, deciding where I feel good at what's best for me, I can make the right decision on what needs to change."
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