Jones vs. Evans...... CAP IT

[Jordan23]

Forgetting Hamill?

I actually put a pretty good chunk on Hamill in that fight.. as you can imagine I almost had a nervous breakdown.

[Vaughany]

ha Rashad is pisssssed...

"You can't say you are not going to have anything to do with it when you are a big part of the reason why the situation originated," Evans fired. "That's like spilling a glass of milk and then walking away and saying that you don't want to have anything to do with it. You f**kn spilled the milk...so you're at least going to help clean it up right? When Jon Jones came to the gym over a year ago Greg Jackson came to me and said, "listen, what do you feel about having this kid on the team?" I told him straight up that I didn't like it. I told him that the kid was talented and that the sky was the limit with him but that was the type of guy I wanted to fight not train with. Greg came back saying, "No, no, no this will be just like you and Keith where he will be just like a brother." I still told him that I didn't want to do that. Then Greg said if that situation ever did arise between Jones and I that he would have to turn the fight down because that's how it works. He would have to turn down the fight with me so that way I wouldn't be put in a position where I looked like a punk. That's how it works in the Greg Jackson system. After a while Greg was so high on this kid coming in and I met Jon Jones and he was a very nice and very sweet kid, so eventually I said f**k it, let' s bring him in. After he got there and I trained with him and tried him out a little bit, something didn't feel right so I moved my camp up to Denver to train at Grudge for awhile. That is where I spent the majority of my time over the past two fights."
Evans continued, "For my last two fights I have trained with Greg Jackson five times. During my time at Grudge I wasn't really dealing with Greg too much but were maintaining a great relationship and friendship so after my last fight I decided I was going to head back to Albuquerque to train with Greg and everything felt good there. My training went great. Jon and I were clicking on another level almost like I did with my first training partner. It was starting to get to the point where it was like what Keith and I have where we feel like brothers. We would share ideas and I wasn't holding back on him and I felt that he wasn't holding back on me and I knew that because there were days where Jon would have some rough days in the gym. We worked a rough pace and if you are competing at this level and you train with someone everyday you can tell when they are struggling. I did my best to help and I really felt that our friendship was on another level...but that wasn't the case. When the first opportunity came and he said that he would fight me if Dana said so, that to me stung more than anything. He said that he didn't want to lose his job and look man, the UFC isn't going to fire anyone because they are turning down fights. If anything it would mess up future opportunities for them and they weren't going to come to him and say, "if you don't fight Rashad you are kicked out of the UFC." That wasn't going to happen. I was always considerate and respectful to our system because if I had the belt then I would want you to do the same for me. Then he comes across on national TV and says that he will fight Rashad if Dana White tells me to and I felt so f**cking utterly disrespected."
The possibility of their matchup was something both men had denounced in previous interviews and after Evans stepped aside and Jones replaced him to face Rua, Evans continued to hold his ground that he would not face Jones in the octagon. Greg Jackson weighed in as well and there was possible talk of Evans moving to either heavyweight or middleweight were Jones to win the title but in the build up to the bout against Rua, Jones changed his tune and the tension began.
"I mean it's one thing to say something in an interview but the least you could have picked up the phone and been like, "man I did an interview today and they kind of put me on the spot with a rough question and I answered it this way." At least give me the heads up so that way I know and not look at it if he's Judas or something. You know who Judas is? That interview was some backstabbing s**t but now it's like whatever because now I know the game he is playing. Then for Greg to sit back and say he doesn't want to have anything to do with it....why not? You f**kn created the situation. Be his coach and be in his corner. That's what you want so do it. I don't care if coaches against me. It doesn't even matter."
Evans continued, "Over a year ago Jon Jones was like, "please let me be on the team and I'm so excited to be on your team and I'd never fight you." He was a kid that was excited to just be a part of the team because it was going to change his career. Now the question is would Jon Jones be an animal had he not trained with Greg Jackson? Yes he would've. The learning rate may not have been as fast because training with Greg allowed Jon access to train with the best in the world. Jon is hands down f**kn phenomenal. The kid is amazing and there is no doubt about that. There is no shame in my game for saying because the kid is very good but his skills excelled much quicker because of Jackson's. But if Jon Jones down the road goes somewhere else for a camp and then has a great fight and an opportunity arises do you really think he's going to go back to Greg Jackson? No. So then Greg lost on two fronts and for what? He's already in different ways told me that this kid is going to be the one that takes Greg Jackson's legacy to the next level. He's already sent that message to me so if you are going to send that message then stand behind it. It doesn't matter to me. I know Greg Jackson's system and I know Greg Jackson's game plan. Sure Greg Jackson is a great coach and he has been one of my great friends but let me tell you something...there is no end all be all in this game of mixed martial arts. It's a big of mixed nuts. People are touting Jon around like he's Neo from the Matrix. That's all good and dandy but be there for the kid when the kid falls. Be there to pick him back up rather than turn their back on him like they did to Machida. Lyoto loses and all of a sudden he sucks. No he doesn't f**kn suck it's just the way the game goes. Nobody is supreme in this game and that is what makes mixed martial arts what it is today. Nobody is the absolute best. Anybody can get beat by anybody on any given day."
With the wounds still fresh and all parties involved still processing all that has happened over the course of the past several weeks, there is no telling what will remain of the once rock solid relationships between Evans and his coaches. Now that the matchup has been made and the lines have been drawn in the sand it is the start of a new chapter for Rashad Evans and despite so much uncertainty ahead, Evans does know one thing...a fire has been lit inside of him.
"I have a lot of motivation," Evans stated. "I feel disrespected on many levels and the worst part is that it comes from people who I felt were like family. I would have done anything for Greg Jackson, and I would still do anything for Greg Jackson but I felt disrespected beyond belief. I feel disrespected by Jon because when I think about when we trained or when we were chilling, was the s**t even real? Or was he just trying to be a master manipulator and try to manipulate the situation so he could get what he wanted out of it? I don't know and that is a question that I have in my mind but when I get down to it...that doesn't even matter because we are going to get in there and we are going to fight. People want to say "oh my God Jon is this and that" but Jon Jones is Jon Jones to me. He's another fighter I have to face. I've seen them all and I've trained with the best. I've seen all the shades of greatness and how this one was supposed to do this and this one was supposed to do that. It's all the same and it doesn't even matter."
Where once Evans thrived as a member of a team he now feels that his future may be best served as a man apart. The former champion does not know exactly what his long term plans will be as far as training is concerned but Evans is positive that he needs to keep his own best interest in mind from here on out."

[sirchadwick1]

While I think Bones handles Rashad easily... I'm glad there is going to be some hype behind this matchup. It's real. Friends who had a fallout and now have to duke it out. It sucks and I really hate it for Rashad, but he's doing the right thing in leaving GJ's team and going for the title. Deep down I hope he pulls off the upset, but I have a feeling he'll get his face broken.

[THE_LOCKSMITH]

yea rashad has gone from he and Jones are friends and won't fight, to now hating on Greg Jackson for bringing Bones in.

[xelance]

Rashad is just a little whiny bitch, plain and simple. Always has been, always will be. He needs the limelight and he isn't getting it, so this is what the result is. I cant like this guy no matter how hard I try, hes like a person scratching their fingernails on a chalkboard...irritates the hell out of me. He is going to hype this fight up, get his ass beat, then make some lame excuse.

[Shortstack55]

I am coming from a position of being about the same height and build as Jones is.
I look at it like this. I am 6'4 and weigh about 240. I'm not fat, I am just a bigger guy than average. I personally wouldn't fight a guy that only weighed 205 or less, because I would feel like a bully. Now I am not a UFC fighter so obviously there is a difference there, but if I was a UFC fighter I would only be one if I was going to fight in the HW division. I know at his height he could easily get up to 250 with a solid frame if he wanted to do so. He has both the genetics and the natural size already. When I was in high school I weighed 190, and I was very skinny. I doubt Jones could lose much more weight at 205 with that frame and remain healthy enough to fight. I just think if he wants to be challenged then he should try picking on guys his own size. Forrest isn't as long or as talented as jones. If Jones wants to fight smaller guys he has the right to do so because he can make weight, but I also reserve the right to not respect it very much. Just my humble opinion on that. I have a TON of respect for guys like couture, who weighed much less than Lesnar, but still had the balls to bang with him. Again my opinion isn't worth much, I just like to see good fights, and I can't picture any LHW beating or much less even challenging Jones after watching him humiliate Shogun like that. I just feel the size advantage is unfair. At heavyweight there are guys who can counter Jones' length with enough strength and power to neutralize it. It is what it is, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Jones keep that belt for a very long time.

This is just rediculous. Cutting weight is part of the sport, and if he can make 205 and have enough energy to whoop Shoguns ass then so be it. Do you think Shogun weighed 205 come fight time, i really doubt it. The only person i can think of that doesn't cut weight is Frankie, and don't think that if he got his butt kicked by someone else he wouldn't go down to 145. Even Your boy Couture had cut weight to make LHW.