UFC 133 – Rashad Evans coach predicts a second round finish to his fight with Tito Ortiz

Mike Van Arsdale, the head coach of former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, has predicted a second round finish to “Suga’s” UFC 133 clash with Tito Ortiz this weekend in Philadelphia, explaining this will be a much different fight to when the two met last time out.

Speaking via MMAFighting.com, Van Arsdale said:

“Yeah, I’m pretty sure he will. I would say probably in the second round. But it could happen in the first round, too, depending on whether or not there’s a little ring rust. If there is and he’s not pulling the trigger, that’s a different story, but in my mind, I know he’ll pull the trigger. I really feel like he will. I’ve seen him work for a long time. I’ve gone through many camps with him. I know how he looks and feels. He’s very confident right now. More confident than ever.”

“You never know who’s hurt and who’s not. But I know my guy is not hurt. So, if Tito has any injury at all, he’s at a major, major, major disadvantage. Even if he’s healthy, he’s at a severe disadvantage. Hopefully he comes right to Rashad and we can get this thing started. If he hasn’t made improvements since his last fight, he’s going to be in trouble right away. He needs to have made major improvements between that fight and this one to beat Rashad. When Tito and him lock up, he’s not going to feel the same guy he felt at UFC 73. That’s for sure.”

Evans had indicated the to Las Vegas based promotion that he was happy to fight anyone on August 6^th, with not only Ortiz but Lyoto Machida and Vladimir Matyushenko mentioned as possible stand-in replacements.