It’s not the beer talking.
Nope, former UFC middleweight champion Evan Tanner (32-6) is off the sauce and is back in the gym training. And, in a recent interview with RandomSpeak.com, the 36-year-old self taught mixed martial artist reveals that he can do what no man has been able to do thus far in the UFC:
Defeat reigning 185-pound champion Anderson Silva.
Here’s a snip from Tanner on Silva:
“… nobody fights him [Silva] right. Nobody knows how to fight him. They all come in with the completely wrong approach. I know the exact way to beat Anderson; I know the right kind of movement, and the way to beat him.”
And on his prospects if he does return to the Octagon:
“I’ve never trained year-round, and I think I’m infamous for the amount of drinking I’ve done. Those two things have had a serious effect on what I’ve been able to do in the ring. I’ve put the beer down and I’m going to be training full-time, year-round for the first time in my career. The sky’s the limit. Who knows what I can do? If I could win a world championship training 2 or 3 months a year, what could I do if I’m training full-time? If I want the belt, I’ll take it. I don’t mean that arrogantly, I’m just confident.”
However, Tanner has not resumed training to return to the UFC. On the contrary, he’s started a foundation — or a fight house — to help out disadvantaged athletes and fighters.
Here’s his take on the initiative:
“The house is big. I can fit a lot of guys in here, maybe 12 to 15. I want the foundation’s focus to be the disadvantaged, and the “at risk”. Disadvantaged can mean different things; it can refer to those who are financially disadvantaged. It can also refer to those who are disadvantaged due to a lack of facilities and proper coaches and trainers. The other focus will be those who are at risk. That can mean those who have substance abuse issues, or those who, because of lack of other opportunities, are at risk of becoming involved with drugs and crime. The house would provide structure and discipline, and opportunity. It would help the guys develop self-respect and respect for others. It would engender a sense of belonging, a sense of brotherhood or family. It would be a good start towards helping them be better men.”
Tanner was victorious in his last fight at UFC 59 in April 2006, defeating Justin Levens via triangle choke in the first round. He has mentioned in the past that UFC matchmaker Joe Silva still wants him onboard.
Whether or not he will ever return to the Octagon, however, seems to be up to Tanner. And, after following his journey on MySpace and on his Web site, I think it’s safe to say that even he doesn’t know the final destination.
Certainly, a fight with Silva does not appear to be in the cards anytime soon.
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I like Tanner I hope he comes back.Even if he doesn’t get a shot at Silva he is still fun to watch.
Make the comeback and Fight Anderson Silva with the scraggly beard. Nobody wants to Mauy-Thai clinch a hippy. That’s his strategy for victory. Good Luck, Evan.
Why is Tanner such a popular guy? He is a FREAK that threw it all away. He also got beat up twice by Franklin….how does he think he’ll beat Silva? I n that article he admits he doenst even watch fights anymore. This guy just wants ink for his gay foundation and UFCMANIA fell into his trap.
Tanner does have a nice clinch…he acan dish out in the clinch almost as good as Silva…he has good ground game, the nicest traingles i have seen…i think he is the right style to beat Silva….the only thing is his jaw…he showed good jaw in the 2nd Franklin fight, but before that, Baroni was tattooing him, probably “stunned” him 5 times in the first round there first fight, and once or twice in there second…Silva would finish better than Baroni did…..i like Tanner though, he is weird as hell, but i like him, and wouldnt mind seeing this fight
He actually could beat Silva, if hes series when says that has left drinking aside
I’m a big Tanner fan, but I honestly can’t explain why. Maybe Tanner’s style of knees in the clinch and sharp elbows on the ground could beat Silva, but we’d have to see something different from him. Something that he lacked against Franklin and Louiseu. At his age, it’s a little late to learn new tricks, but if he’s off the bottle and training full-time, then I’d love to see him try.
By the way, for “SirMixaLot”’s benefit, it’s not actually a “gay foundation.” The fighters’ sexual preferences are not part of the selection process. He just wants to train aspiring fighters and help then sort their lives out, perhaps so they learn the discipline that Tanner never did. It’s an admirable goal, however, Tanner’s a free spirit so normally I’d think it was just a temporary flash of inspiration. But he seems committed and well on his way to getting his foundation off the ground. We should wish him luck, even if the rest of us would hope he’d make returning to the Octagon his top priority.
I assure you Evan Tanner is not a freak. But Tanner is going to grind his mangy beard all over Silva’s face until he’s too bloody to continue with the fight. It’s going to be horrible. I really hope this doesn’t happen.
I’d say Silva just hold him on the beard, and drag him around like a dog. “They all come in with the completely wrong approach….”, what?? you must be on drug. Well, the beard says it all doesn’t it??
just give me 2 of whatever hes on
http://www.evantanner.net/
Read it for yourselves. I posted on a long ago ET thread that I dropped $20 the guy’s way on two of his signed MW Champ cards. If ya got some, and are the generous sort, give him $10. If not, at least support the guy. Dont knock a guy for trying to do something positive in this fucked up world. I post to him fairly regularly, and about once every two weeks he gets back to me. I know it’s really him, since, well, there aint no one else around. If you’ve never been in the dumps, taken up the bottle to escape, lost all you have, or been dicked over by ppl who you COMPLETELY trusted, you cant understand where he’s been, but you can have some empathy and support the guy.
Tanner is a good guy, but he needs to shut the hell up and fight, or just shut the hell up. I’ve never seen a guy get so much mma press for doing no mma fighting. Be careful, Tito will do the same thing when he see’s it working for Tanner!
Tito did it until he got his hole broke by Chuck.
I like Evan Tanner, I just watched that fight where he murdered david terrell….good shit. Cant see him beating Silva tho
it is so easy to talk, but hopefully for him he will stick to it. its never a good thing to be dependent on something.
[quote comment="11625"]it is so easy to talk, but hopefully for him he will stick to it. its never a good thing to be dependent on something.[/quote]
Testing out the new quote feature again — pretty cool.
[quote post="1451"]Testing out the new quote feature again — pretty cool[/quote]
Testing testing
Can it add the original posters name somehow?
I thought Carl Marx Died 120yrs ago its kinda ery seeing his face in color.
You got to love evan tanner
Evan Tanner is tougher than sun-dried coon-sh*t, and if he ever gets serious about making a come back, watch out Silva. Anyone who witnessed his complete dismantling of David Terrel, or his KO’s of Baroni and Lawler knows what I’m talking about.
He knows just how to beat Silva, huh? Too bad he didn’t know, ‘just how to beat’ Rich. He’s trippin and needs to go back to sleep for another 2 years. He looks like a young Rip Van Winkle.
I think Tanner is awesome for 1 reason and thats because he’s like a normal dude that likes to fight. He might not have the sharpest mind, the best features or make the best choices but he did what we all want to do and that is train our own way and win.
evan tanner is a bumb, and now he actually loox like 1
Right on Tanner! How come anytime someone tries to actually do something good, people say its “gay”. I for one cant stand the little criminal bastards that watch ufc and then get the idea to go out and beat on people. They make it look bad, and it doesnt have to be, MMA can be a positive addition to our culture, but not when everyones acting like little fuckin gangster wannabes. If tanner is gonna clean up(and its not just a fleeting hippie idea) then more power to him.
You’re all jealous because you people can’t grow a beard like tanner or a moustcahe like don frye.
moustache*
[quote comment="11899"] They make it look bad, and it doesnt have to be, MMA can be a positive addition to our culture, but not when everyones acting like little fuckin gangster wannabes. If tanner is gonna clean up(and its not just a fleeting hippie idea) then more power to him.[/quote]
Totally agree..and sweet addition to ufcmania..This is why i hate threads Like Bunetello wants Kimbo..little wannabes come out of the woodwork to talk shit about him, then they end up talking about how they can beat everyone up…its ridiculous. And Gman…Evan didnt knock anyone out..he pounded Baroni out, but it was contreversy and he submitted Lawler with the wicked triangle…just clearing it up
I stand corrected on the Lawler fight, I must have been thinking of someone else. As for Baroni, to me a TKO is a KO, but thats just me. Either way, Tanner made the point himself: If he can train 2-3 months and become the UFC middle-weight champion, think of what he can do after training year round. As long as its the right kind of training, mind you.
i smell ya gman..although baroni wasnt out, doesnt matter though…But heres the thing now…I like Evan Tanner, but now hes not training with Randy Couture, Dan Henderson, and Matt Lindland…hes the best of his new camp, the coach even..theres not going to be anyone in his camp rigth now to push him to compete with the top 4 of the Middlewieghts..
This is all a moot point really. The ufc isn’t just gonna let him come back and step in there with the champ like they did for Couture. He just doesn’t have it in him to fight his way back to the top.
Even Tanner is one tough SOB I guess I assumed he was bound to make a run at the title after his UFC 59 fight. If he does decide to come out and fight I want him to do it with that wicked sick Beard. How great would it be to see a bearded man beat down someone.
It would be pretty outrageous, but it’s not going to happen because he shaved it off on February 13th.
tanner says he has one fight left on his contract, but I read somewhere that he doesnt. Anyone know for sure?
Any one can talk, lutter knew how to beat silva too remember. Do your talking with your fists in the octagon like a man. I predict if tanner every fought silva it would end very badly for him.
I think it is funny how all you critics can dog Evan when 99% of you have never donned the gloves and stepped into the ring yourselves. When you are willing to train and put it on the line, then criticize all you want. Until then you should just have respect for those who contribute to the sport you claim to love so much.
As for Evan’s idea being ‘Fly By Night, hippie idea’…. people who have achieved the level of success that Evan has, don’t get there by doing something half-way. That is why many of them fall victim to alcohol and drugs; they have a need to take everything to the max. If he wants to use that part of his person to help others, we should thank him for it…not ridicule. Some of you should look in the mirror and ask yourself what you have done to better someone’s life lately.
Update. I know this post is gonna get lost, but Evan has temporarily closed the foundation. He has taken down all the pages of himself building the house, etc. The website was empty for awhile until today. It’s posted with the wrong date, maybe the wrong day, who knows..
http://evantanner.net/news_on_the_foundation
Cryptic story about the first fighter. I would love to hear that one.
Complete support for the guy. I hope he comes back better that before. He is my age, and I know how much my 3 days a week training hurt. I cant imagine what he is going to have to go through. Good luck on your journey Evan.
he’s the real life ron bergundy
Probably because there both knee masters. Evan knees are more jumping knees, Silva’s are clinch knees. I think when he sais how to beat him is to jump for a knee when he tries to get the thai clinch
Evan Tanner is horrible. He should retire. He’ll never face anderson silva because he’ll never beat the guys he has to face to get ranked that high, and even if he does face him, He will get destroyed!
RIP Evan… such a beautiful soul
Tanner, not to be a dick or anything but if you think your going to knock out the spider, all i can say is good luck. You said you now what to do, even if you did it wouldnt matter he recinize what you were trying to do and change his style just like that. Even if you were close to knocking him out (witch i doubt) well your thinking “im going to knock him out” and “it over” your’ll start getting excited, he’ll stay relaxed and calm and end up knocking you out. Remeber Sliva’s not just going in with fists, he going in with nees, elbows, kicks, and fists