If he fights Jon Jones, Rashad Evans wants Greg Jackson to pick a side
Posted on March 15, 2011, 08:43 PM by Joey Santosusvia CagePotato.com
"What's gonna happen is, the team’s are gonna split apart. If I know there’s a chance I'm training with Jon and Greg’s training with Jon, I'm not gonna train with Greg any more, EVER again. Because I need my coach to always be able to coach me no matter who I'm gonna fight. If he can't do that, I don't feel that there's a use for me having him as my coach." - The complete Rashad Evans interview by Karyn Bryant with MMA H.E.A.T. will be available soon.
It appears that what started as a hypothetical scenario, in which Rashad Evans would challenge Jon "Bones" Jones for the Light Heavyweight title, has become a bit more complicated. As close friends and training partners at Jackson's MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico, both Jones and Evans had previously sworn to never fight one another, no matter what the circumstance. However, after a knee injury forced Evans out of his long awaited title fight with division champ Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128, it was Jones who was called in as a replacement, making it entirely possible that their paths could cross in the near future. In the weeks that have followed, both fighters appear to have reconsidered their "no fighting friends" policy, as each has gone on the record stating that they would, in fact, be open to the match-up if necessary. Though head coach of Jackson's MMA, Greg Jackson, has stated a preference to have no involvement in the potential bout, it appears that Evans is now giving him an ultimatum.
For the time being, however, Jones must first dethrone "Shogun" Rua at this Saturday's UFC 128. The Light Heavyweight title clash will headline the stacked card from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, while top Bantamweight contenders Urijah Faber and Eddie Wineland will go head to head in the co-main event.
Photo: Yahoo! Sports Cagewriter
Comments
I would hate to be Greg Jackson in this situation...
Most fair thing would b both leaving for that fight and training with different coaches
Ya training the next Michael Jordan of MMA sucks... *sarcasm*
Not an issue. Let Rashad to SF, and let Jackson have 2 LHW beltholders...
Why is everyone looking pass Shogun like if it was going to be a walk in the park for Jon?
It's true their both putting a lot of pressure on Jackson and they really shouldn't be. They need to except the fact that they may need to fight and stop bringing so much emotion into it. It's your job to fight so handle it professionally. This type of situation is gonna happen more and more with the sport growing as fast as it is and with the UFC buying out all of its fellow rival organizations. And ok if Rashad leaves the camp he acts like that would end his friendship with Jones.
I seriously think Rashad is scared to fight Jones. LOL! Everything is a freaking excuse with this guy.
Because people are high on Jon's hype. As a result of what I just said, people will weak this and say I'm not giving Jon a chance because hes young blah blah blah. I'm not dismissing Jon, I'm just saying this isn't a give away to either fighter.
@ Stiks
Weaking you - oh, yeah of little faith. Where is your trust in your fellow Lowkicker's MMA acumen and sense of fair-play? I count 3 sharps already (me being one of them) and your post has only been up 35 minutes.
I think this whole thread should vote you "sharp" simply out of spite. :-)
Cheers,
Wing Chun
Understandable for Shogun fans being upset because he's not getting the respect he deserve but calling Jones a hype isn't fair either. If Shogun leg kicks is not effective early in the fight, Bones got a great chance leaving out the octagon with that belt.
@ myself
Should read - oh...ye...of little faith.
I'm weaking myself, now.
Maybe that was my intent. :-p
they always talk like they know superduperincredible secrets about each other if they train together, like if they both trained with greg they would lose because greg would let out an amazingawesome secret that was absolutely unfailable.. as if its that important..
'oh you've been working on wrestling and passing guard today? cheers for that brilliant information, i can't lose now'
i think is more about strategy than secrets but it kind of makes sense cuz greg will have to focus on both fighters and its for the tittle i think evans is coming to his senses now he is been sitting away for a while
why cant they both not have greg coach. use certian trainers and training partners for there little camp. kind of like what fighters do on tuf when team mates fight eachother. this is also even if jones beats shogun. lots of unneeded and solvable drama.
Rashad "Mr dramatic" Evans has a point and it's not looking good for Greg Jackson.
and its not like The Jackson Camnp their at is the ONLY one in the US. pretty sure there is a camp that is affiliated with Greg that either fighter cud train at. Rashads just being a bitch, he dosnt wana fight him but now he will and hes making Greg make a descision that he shouldnt have to make. Plus Jons has to beat Shogun first, cant look to the future and forget the present.
It's so fuc(k)ing annoying thinking past Shogun.... The Champ will whoop them both soon.... Then all this B.S. will buried....
Exactly! They talk like Shogun never existed. Now, I really want Shogun to win this fight with a KO in the 1st round. It is getting annoying underestimating Shogun!
This is MMA, a Well rounded sport with highly educated Athletes, there's no badd blood between one another, UFC is clearly a Sport and if jones were to beat Rua Jones vs Evans should happen, They can still be close friends nothing should not change the friendship after the fight, at the end of the night may on half of the Friendship party become LHW Champion
Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward were close friends and they fought three times. I don't know why you got weaked.
They need to stop worrying about whether or not if they are going to fight each other and who is going to get the coach because they are looking past shogun. That is not a wise decision to make.
that would be a big lose for rashad leaving gregs camp.. but a big gain for jones
He's been training Rashad longer than Jones so it would make more sense training Rashad.
Yeah, but Jones has a lot more mileage and opportunity left, so who do you think -from a business perspective- Greg should go with? Jones.
The truth is, I don't think he'll train either one, and I hope he doesn't.
If Rashad wants to be a bitch about that, then let him walk.
If he's man enough to look past it that Greg couldn't pick a side, then cheers for Rashad. . . welcome both of them back after the fight, IF AND WHEN it happens.
Shogun still has to be beaten, which is no small task, even for someone as talented as Jones. . . this is coming from a HUGE mark for Jones, too. I've been a fan ever since he took my number 1 LHW (Stephen Bonnar) and made him look silly in the cage.
Bonnar's my boy, but Jones is a close second. . . and I have no problem admitting that it's a gargantuan task for Jonny to beat Shogun.
This whole argument might end up being a moot point.
Although greg jackson's camp is amazing I can understand why they're stuck in this predicament, it would be ridiculous for them to train at the same camp if jones is going to be fighting in top 10, unless they avoid each other but rashads been there longer so its a tough one
Shoguns going to knock out jones anyway
Look, I love Shogun, and I love Jones, but Rashad is kinda being a bitch about this. If you EVER thought this was a "team" sport, you were wrong. Yeah, you have a team, but you just try not to fight them, and if you have to. . . well. . . then you have to. For a title? In a VERY short career that MMA fighters have? Sign me up. I'd beat my best friend in the world down for it, and he'd do the same.
Business is business, and Rashad needs to separate his business and personal lives, at least for 15 minutes at a time.
He knows he's putting Greg in a real predicament here if (and ONLY IF, mind you) Jones wins. . . and he's doing it on purpose.
Suck it up, whatever happens happens, and let it go after you face off in the cage. . . or change weight classes if it matters that much to you.
But stop being a bitch.
I agree, but its not so much fighting a teammate. I believe jones has only been training there for a year. Its the fact that the coach and trainers hes been training with would be training his opponent? Sounds a little rediculous eh? I wonder if they would make a gameplay to counter the gameplay they give to each fighter lmao. But in other words they can only coach someone, and rashads been there longer which is why he wants them to choose
not to be a follower but why are they looking past shogun jones is a fresh fighter but shogun is no picnic dog
I thought they were blood brothers!
does bleeding on eachothers ****s count as blood brothers???? lmao!!!
this is an individual sport just like many others soon as these lot realise that fighting someone from the same camp is part and parcel of the game the better for us as fans
Who cares.. Jones is gonna tko shogun 1st rd
rashad is a whiny bitch...
i cant wait till shogun smashes jones and then all this evans-jones talk will have just been a waist of time
I dont know why these 2 F++ks are argueing. They wont have F$#K all to argue about because Rua is going the shut them both up....Rua is going STFU everyonewhen he wins....so would all you quit sucking on Jones bone and get on the band wagon.....woooot woooooot the Rua Wagon!!!
Bye Rashad.
As much as I really like Jon Jones.....I think Shogun is going to smash him....I cant believe people are disregarding him the way they are ....do people forget what this guy is capable of.
I'm super excited to see Rua and Jones go toe to toe. They are both extremely entertaining fighters.
Hopefully ring rust and over training doesn't play a factor on this matchup.
seeing rashad from the past 6 months i say he is afraid of jon jones.he has to get over that mental hurdle.
It won't matter after Shogun KO's them both.