Evan Elder knows he’s fighting for his job at UFC Vegas 77 but is confident he’ll finish Genaro Valdez

Evan Elder knows his UFC Vegas 77 against Genaro Valdez is do-or-die for his career.

Elder is 0-2 in the UFC, but last time out, he suffered a stoppage loss to Nazim Sadykhov due to a cut in a fight where he was up 20-18 on all three judges’ scorecards. Despite the disappointing result, Elder gained a lot of confidence from that fight.

“I took away a lot from the fight. They showed us the judges’ scorecards after the fight and all three judges had me up 2-0 going into that third round,” Evan Elder said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Regardless, it doesn’t matter. I’m thankful for the experience and it was a great fight and a great opponent. But, there are a couple of things I did well and a lot of things I need to improve on. The biggest takeaway was it was a good confidence boost as I got a lot of confidence in my chin, power, and conditioning.”

Once the cut healed, Evan Elder was hoping to return in July and he got his wish as he will face Genaro Valdez at UFC Vegas 77. Both Elder and Valdez are 0-2 in the UFC so the American knows he’s fighting for his job on Saturday night.

“I love the fight. I think it’s a great matchup, I think we are both fighting for our job as we are both fighting for our job which makes it higher stakes and more tension,” Elder said. “It’ll probably make it a better fight. I think he is a decent boxer, he likes to box and has okay jiu-jitsu. I think it will be a great opportunity for me to showcase my skills.”

With Evan Elder liking the matchup, he believes he has all the tools to finish Genaro Valdez at UFC Vegas 77 and prove he belongs in the UFC.

“Man, I can’t really say I have a specific way. I see me getting the finish, I would love to get him out of there early. But, I want to get a bonus, whether it’s a first-round knockout or a three-round drag-out battle,” Elder said. “I have to get my hand raised and will do whatever is needed.”

If Evan Elder gets the stoppage win, he thinks it does well for his career and looks to at least get one more fight this year to start working his way through the ranks.

“I think it will be really good. Though I have had two losses in the UFC, they were fun and exciting showings. I think they are fan-friendly and to get a win will catapult my career forward,” Elder concluded.