Rashad Evans says he's happy with the "fresh start" at Imperial Athletics
Posted on August 3, 2011, 05:40 AM by Anton Gurevich"When I came out here, I didn't really know how things were going to be. Coming from Greg Jackson's camp, I was just not thinking that there could be another situation that could rival that one. But I was pleased to find out that things here are very good. I've got a great team, great training partners, and we've got this energy in the gym that's just amazing. When you have a gym that has great energy, and great training practices and it's just fun to be in, it makes the grind of training that much easier. It makes you grow that much more as an athlete because you don't mind putting in the extra time in the gym because it's fun to be there.
After being at Jackson's for a while, with so many people at the gym, it just got harder and harder for me to get that time. When you're in a situation like that, sometimes it gets a little bit stagnant. It's just one of those things where it's like, how am I to reinvent myself if I'm pretty much learning the same things and I'm not getting the time that I need? You kind of get stagnant in your learning and you kind of get a little bit disinterested." - Check out Ben Fowlkes' full interview with Rashad Evans at MMAFighting.com.
This Saturday's clash with Tito Ortiz will be Rashad Evans' first since leaving Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Evans, who became the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion under the patronage of Greg Jackson, currently trains at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida, alongside fighters such as JZ Calvan, Jorge Santiago and Antonio Silva (now Team Nogueira). Long-time coach Mike Van Arsdale followed Evans from Albuquerque to Florida, and now makes sure "Suga" preserves the qualities made him one of the best Light Heavyweights on the planet.
UFC 133 will take place this weekend at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Further Reading: Rashad Evans sets up camp at Imperial Athletics, says Jon Jones can take Greg Jackson
Photo: Rashad Evans, right, fights Forrest Griffin during UFC 92 at the MGM Grand Arena on December 27, 2008 in Las Vegas, NV. Francis Specker
Comments
I don't care how much 'energy' is in that gym, nothing's gonna be better than the champion factory that is Greg Jackson's Gym
How about The Black House?? Two champions from there too...
Great camp,,,
Training with all those Brazilians must have improved his Muay Thai n Bjj....can't wait to see Rashad 2.0, recently I hve started to like Evans more prolly for the first time I'm pulling for him to win n also I think we will see a really aggressive Evans in this fight
As mentioned Black House is a great gym, I also think Kings MMA is going to be one of the top up and coming gyms in the near future as they got an incredible lineup of fighters..
Not sure how well ol' Stanky Leg will fit in at Black House haha
Ha ha, not to mention ATT, Team Alpha Male, Golden Glory etc....
Also, it was Freddie Roach more than Greg Jackson that helped GSp win his last fight, lol...
I disagree with that. GSP had no wrestling background before he went to New Mexico. A worse wrestler would have probably been taken down and subbed by Jake
Jackson's camp also has Guillard and Stann coming out of it. Not to mention Guida. 2 future champs right there. Other camps are still good I just think Jackson's has proven itself to be the best in the game at the moment.
Blackhouse is good but almost all their fighters have weak wrestling and aren't well rounded enough. You can't say that about Jackson's camp
There are many excellent gyms out there that produce champions, Black House, Tri Star, Team GracieFighter, ATT, AKA, Golden Glory and now Team Alpha Male too, as well as many more but i don't think it's really about that, it's about where you feel comfortable and feeing like you "fit" in with the team, a team that you feel brings the best out in you. There are too many great gyms out there now to say this one or that one is the best. Thinking like that for a fighter would be a "negative" influence as they often like to switch up camps all the time to get a different "look" I think Rashad will do just fine at Imperial Athletics.......
Nah I'm not saying any different, I also think it's important to move around gyms (as GSP has proved) and I'm sure Rashad will do BUT in loosing Jackson I believe Rashad has lost the number one MMA coach in the world
that was meant to read, Rashad will do great