With Roster Spot on the Line, Tonya Evinger Ready to Prove the Doubters Wrong

Tonya Evinger is set to take on Lina Lansberg at UFC Stockholm this Saturday. Evinger is riding a two-fight losing streak and has yet to win in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. For the 37-year-old, she knows this is a must-win to keep her UFC contract.

"I don't think the 'Cyborg' fight should count. I took that fight on three-weeks' notice, and it was a huge fight," Evinger said to Sherdog.com. "So, I think if I lose this fight I will lose my contract. The UFC doesn't give me much love or give me a chance. It was a weird situation, they are holding that against me. I did what I could to help out the situation. Whatever."

Since losing to Aspen Ladd, Evinger has seen people question her game and if she is UFC caliber. However, she doesn't care about that or the rankings and just wants to put on a good performance on Saturday.

"It is weird. That last loss, for some reason I lost all credibility. I don't get any respect in general. The last fight, I lost it and it put me so low in the rankings. Everyone I beat in the last few fights is above me," she explained. "I'm not a fan of the rankings, they are all bulls---. It is definitely a popularity contest. Until we all fight each other, there is no reason to have rankings it is a joke."

Not only does Evinger believe the rankings are a joke, but she also thinks her back is against the wall for this one. She believes she gets no respect but plans on proving the doubters wrong, again.

"The whole world is against me. To have just the crowd boo me is just fine. When I fought for the world title in Invicta, that is what it was like then," she said. "I'm used to fighting like that and competing like that. I've never had a fan base like some of those girls. It is a popularity contest, it is whoever they want. I don't understand it either, so I don't care."

When she takes on Lansberg, Evinger promises to be a better fighter. In her last fight, she was coming off an injury and says she wasn't 100 percent. Now, she is fully healthy and ready to spoil the homecoming of Lina Lansberg in Sweden.

"I'm back to normal. I feel like everything is feeling good," she said. "My wrestling is back up, that is what held me up last fight. I didn't realize how much it hurt and when to react. Just couldn't move my leg."

In the end, Evinger knows she is the better fighter everywhere and plans on showcasing that on Saturday.

"I can definitely adapt. People know how I fight, and they know how I fight. I'm not orthodox, my style is really weird," said the veteran. "I don't need to force things, if they worked on getting up, etc., then I can tell that and then I just stand up. I'm good at figuring out where I need to win the fight. That is what has been successful for me."

Come Saturday, Evinger knows she must leave Sweden with a win to keep her UFC contract.