Tonya “Triple Threat” Evinger Interview
By Zach Heim, RCM MMA Correspondent
Tonya Evinger is by far the funniest person I have talked to in the sport of mixed martial arts. With all of her experience, and personality I don’t see how she is a current free agent. She has fought the like of Gina Carano, Julie Kedzie, Sara McMann, and Sarah D’Alelio. She has put together a 13- record and is currently on a four fight win streak. As a contestant on The Ultimate Fighter was lost her fight to get into the house to Raquel Pennington. Her last fight was Invicta FC 7 where she beat Sarah D’Alelio by unanimous decision. I had the chance to talk with her and it was a fun conversation.
RCM: Have you ever fought for Hook N Shoot in Evansville, IN?
Tonya: No, I didn’t. That was at the very beginning of my career and I pretty much didn’t know anybody. I was out in California at the time. I tried to fight a lot of the girls that fought there and none of them would ever fight me.
RCM: You have fought some big names, out of your career which fight do you think was the biggest learning experience?
Tonya: I don’t know I would have to go with my longest fights. Some of them went either really fast or I just lost my mind. Like with the Gina fight I feel like I just lost my mind. I see me winning that 9 out of 10 times. I just couldn’t handle the pressure it was a horrible experience. I repeated myself with the Ultimate Fighter. I don’t know how to get past that, I don’t know what’s going on in my life to make me drop the ball like that but I do. I enjoyed the Alexis Davis fight a lot. It was a title fight her opponent backed out and they gave me four days’ notice. I had to get all of my meds done, I hadn’t fought in two years. I wasn’t training or anything. I was kind of fat and out of shape so I had to lose weight, lose a lot of weight. I had to lose like 18 pounds and get all my meds done. So I really didn’t get to train for that fight I just kind of showed up because I would get a rematch with her and I knew I would get a big contract with that promotion. So it was more beneficial for my career then actually winning that fight. Five, five minute rounds is a long time when you haven’t been training for two years. That was defiantly a tough one I just fought as hard as I could until I completely ran out of steam then you see me just lose it. I was just so tired, I barely made it out of the arena to start throwing up. It was horrible.
RCM: WOW, that doesn’t seem fun at all.
Tonya: Defiantly not but you know I feel like I gained a lot of confidence in a lot of my skills that I was too timid to try in fights and stuff. I always resort back to my wrestling. I feel like my stand up was really good at the time I just needed to use it. I think that time off really cleared my head from stuff that would be holding me back. I took all that time off I jumped in there and was like screw it I don’t have anything to lose. It was kind of the same deal with the Sara McMann fight. Her opponent backed out and they gave me nine days’ notice. I was like shot I just moved back to Missouri, so I went over to St. Louis and I trained for like seven days and fought injured. I ended up hurting my feet really bad. The gym I was training at they didn’t fall for all my little kicks. I don’t even know why I was trying to kick, I don’t even know how to kick. I came into fight and could barely even walk. Two days before that I couldn’t even walk to the bathroom. I just feel like I’m a fighter, I consider myself a fighter, call myself a fighter, and walk around acting like a fighter so I feel like I have to do what I say I’m going to do. I’m not the type to back out I will fight no matter what. I kind of knew Sara was going to get the push that a lot of these girls that I have fought get pushed right away with sponsors and backers and make your name big before they have ever even proven themselves. I felt like win or lose against Sara it didn’t even really matter because I knew she was going to get put in the spot light pretty soon. You know how some of them golden girls are so. It wasn’t a big loss to me. I just wanted to keep in the running and stay relevant and keep competing. I learned a lot, I learned a lot about what I need to do to survive, and where I need to rest and maybe I should be training all the time if I’m going to do stuff like this.
RCM: You brought you Sara, did you watch the fight with Rousey? And did you think it was a good stoppage?
Tonya: Yeah I think it was. I think she is coming from a sport, I don’t think she is a mma fighter yet. I have taken a knee like that to where it has shut me down, and I feel like I am a true fighter. So I held a girl against the ropes and just had to get myself back together. I don’t know if you have ever been kneed like that but my God it feels like your insides shut down its so unreal pain you can’t even describe it. I remember holding this girl against the cage I had never had so much pain I couldn’t get my body to move. She kept hitting me and I felt my rib break because I wasn’t tight or anything I was just trying to survive. I felt my rib break and thought O s**t I’m in a fight. So I pulled it back together. I think that comes with being beat up in the gym and experience. I feel like she doesn’t get that experience to train like a fighter. From day one she has had special training and one on ones. Everybody has kind of catered around her. Rather than her going to a gym and getting beat on like most fighters coming up. It showed. I think that, that damage is something that some people can’t handle and some people know that they are hurt but you got to learn how to take it and roll with it. Do whatever you have to do but dropping to the ground is a good thing to do. I think it was a good stoppage and thought it was going to go in Ronda’s favor. I thought Sara’s only shot was to shoot take her down and it be the most boring fight you have ever seen. I don’t even know why Sara was trying to stand you know. Take her down and win the damn fight. It’s for the belt. I never saw Ronda tossing Sara I think Sara is a dominate wrestler. She was aware that Ronda was going to try and toss her but I don’t really think Ronda’s throws are that accurate in mma. I think they work great and she has showed they work in this sport but she has never had to fight a wrestler that can stop the throws. It just isn’t going to happen to a top wrestler. I just think with Sara not having as much experience I would have just taken the safe bet and went for the win.
RCM: I watched your fight to get into the house on TUF. It looked like you dominated the first round by controlling the action from top position, but in the second round you came out and stood up. Was that what you wanted to do or what happened there?
Tonya: I guarantee I can out strike her any day of the week. I just feel like there were a lot of things that happened in that fight and a lot of things leading up to it I think I just fought like crap. I think I had an adrenaline dump, it was a really weird situation. I lose my mind when there is a lot of pressure like that I had a lot of trouble with Ronda’s people being in my corner. There was nobody in the back to warm us up. After the first fight they were all out at the cage with the fights. I just thought who the hell is supposed to warm us up if all seven coaches are out next to the cage coaching. Who’s supposed to warm us up, the first two girls got warmed up but that was it. Then the electricity went out and I had already taken my supplements and I was already warmed up and going and it went out for a long time. Then I was tired and I was hungry and nobody knew what was going on. So it was like a waiting game to get to that fight. I don’t know man I just didn’t perform and I hate watching that fight because I know that’s my worst performance ever I just don’t ever see that happening again. I can tell you right now 10 out of 10 times I beat that girl, I beat her socks off. The one time in my life I lose to her it has to be then I can’t really explain it. To tell you the truth the minute in-between rounds I don’t even know what Ronda’s people said. At least if you get in the house you get a week to work out and train so instead of people looking off a piece of paper they can see what you can do and what your skills are. They don’t know what has been going on or what I have learned in my training in the last few years or what I do so that piece of paper meant nothing and them coming in in my corner and telling me what I need to do. I can’t even remember what they said I can honestly say I wasn’t even listing I was in my own head talking to myself. It was a weird situation I was unaware of what was going on as I’m sure most athletes are when they go in there. It just a different experience, I didn’t rise up that’s for sure. I feel like I wasn’t even really getting chocked or anything. I go in the gym all day long with top level dudes they will try to chock on me all day long and they just can’t get anything on me. Same thing with the Gina fight I didn’t want to go into the second round or I just didn’t want to go on. I heard the 10 second slap and just didn’t want to go into the second round it’s the weirdest thing that happens. I almost feel like I fight better when I have nothing to lose, and the short notice fights. I feel like I go out there and fight with all heart. Then when there is so much going on and pressure I just lose it.
I was great talking with Tonya she is looking for a multi fight contract with a fair amount of money for her experience and marketability. We even joked around saying maybe she should retire like Randy Couture did and then someone would offer her a title shot or at least a large contract. It’s for sure Tonya isn’t ready to retire she wants to fight and doesn’t see any woman in the world that could beat her 125 pounds. So I guess we will just have to wait and see what happens. You can follow Tonya on Twitter @tonyaevinger you can also follow RCM MMA correspondent Zach Heim on twitter as well @Zheim82.
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