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Evan Tanner On Silva: "If I Want The Belt, I'll Take It"

The following is an excerpt from an interview with former UFC Middleweight champion Evan Tanner, conducted by RandomSpeak.com:

RS: What are your thoughts on the Middleweight division right now, and more specifically the new MW Champ, Anderson Silva?

Evan: You know, people always as me questions like that. I can't really answer them. I can't really say I'm a fan of the sport. I like to compete, but I don't watch much fighting or keep up with the latest news. Unless I'm fighting I'm usually somewhere else altogether, working on some outside project, reading a book, or out on some adventure somewhere.

RS: Well obviously you have alot of other stuff on your plate as well.

Evan: I spent almost all of last year on the road. I had a lot of personal issues I was dealing with. Right now I'm completely focused on getting this foundation up and running. I'll worry about me later.

Thoughts on Anderson Silva, though- nobody fights him 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.

RS: So you're confident that if you make a comeback, you would have a good shot at the title?

Evan: (laughs) For sure. 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.

Starting this foundation is a huge step, 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.

Credit - MMANews