UFC 128: Rashad Evans has no problem fighting Jon Jones
Posted on March 20, 2011, 12:32 AM by Anton GurevichFormer UFC Light Heavyweight Champion "Suga" Rashad Evans declared in an interview to MMA H.E.A.T.'s Karyn Bryant that he has no problem to fight the former teammate Jon "Bones" Jones. Evans also stated he knows the key to beating Jon Jones, just as Jon Jones knows the key to beating him.
Evans was originally scheduled to square off at UFC 128 against Shogun Rua, but was forced to pull out of the fight due to a knee injury. Jones replaced Evans, eventually beating Rua in impressive fashion.
The fight is now expected to happen in July, possibly as a headliner of the traditionally stacked "Fourth of July Event". This year's "Fourth of July" fight card will be UFC 132, which will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on July 2nd. Penn vs. Fitch 2 showdown is already official as a co-main event of the night.
And here's what Rashad Evans had to say last night to MMAFighting.com's Ariel Helwani:
Comments
A healthy Evens would be champ right now, Ninja oops i mean Shogun look like shit tonight.
Shogun did look really bad........
but as for fighting you friend if it was for fight sake a prelim or something
would suck bad but to push your self into top contender or like now its for
everything its what you do its not a card filler fight its to be champ the guy
who has it worst off is the coach cause he cant help either would have to be this guys trains with these guys most the time and that guy trains with
those guys most the time....will be hard but can be done and the respect
level will be huge after
Shogun came in with a terrible game plan. first and foremost he should of been CHOPPING those legs of Jones with kicks! I only saw him kick once. He was lunging his punches.... Etc.
Bottom line, Jones is a tough fight for everybody. The DUDE is so BIG, Athletic and possess the longest reach advantage ever! NASTY!
I knew once Jones was on top and gave him a BEATDOWN, Shogun would gas. Jones had that beautiful back-fist that staggered Shogun! W-O-W
I'm not saying Rashad will beat Jones, but I believe he'll do a lot better than people think he will. Rashad is an excellent wrestler and extremely athletic. Remember how he dictated the pace with Rampage in the clinch and was able to take him down? Who else has done that to Rampage? Obviously Rampage isn't Jones but I think this is an excellent match up.
mama says shut the **** up!
I seriously doubt Rashad will do anything against Jon Jones! That is why he did not want to fight him in the first place.
Jon Jones is a BEAST!!!!!
they made a pact originally to not fight eachother, im fed up of people makin out like it was rashad who didnt want to fight jones n hes scared. they both said the same thing that they would not fight eachother but no1 said jones was scared lol plus its been a few weeks since he chanhged his mind nothing has changed he was never scared. i hope evans trains at AKA so we can see his old striking style come back with his always improving wrestling and speed. and the only person to beat evans, machida was a counter puncher who stays on the outside and fights nothing liike jones so i think rashad has a great chance. plus the fact that his record is near enough identical to jones
Rashad... Go train at AKA!
I said this would happen between Rashad, Jones, and Greg Jackson, its sad really
Machida also knows the key to beat you rashad !
he doesnt have the key for shit, jones will beat him just like he did shogun, rashad has also been off the ring for quite a while and he might think that he has an upper hand but he really doesnt by the time this goes down jackson will have had jones developed a new style (what? you think jackson is gonna choose evans over jones, dont think so) and rashad is only gonna get the ass beating he deserves
thats what it is, rashad was just like damn damn damn. I just want rashad to drop the whole friend thing. Hes lucky Jon shook his hand and instead of kicking his head to the 3rd row.
why is this NEWS??? im sure everybody knew they both would end up steping up and fight eachother!!!
since Shogun fought like a 12 yr old girl unlike his last fight
we just dont know how Jones does when he is hurt can he stay calm
or will he panic he just hasnt been tested in that way and Rashad will
do that hopefully ( cause thought Shogun would of but he choked)
but if he can take the pressure and be calm he will beat Rashad, but
one or two hooks from Rashad and could be zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
i like evans a lot but Bones is that dude
like them both, i dont see rashad winning,and this fight is weird im actually not interested lol i wonder how the fight will turn out...where will rashad go train uuummm
I don't see Evans winning but hey, maybe he knows something we don't. I am really surprised to hear the way he says he is done with Jackson's. It sounds like there is some behind the scenes drama.
Jackson is part of both fighters. If they fight, he should absolutely recuse himself, no ifs ands or buts. If he hesitates, which I suspect he will, or decides to stick with Jon, which he might, he's an a**hole to the third power.
He knows both fighters inside and out and for him to pick one over the other (for purely fame and fortune) would show what a shallow piece of crap he really is. Same with Trevor.
Jones predicted that when fighters go after Shogun he wilts and it was proven true. Shogun had nothing, he was too far away to leg kick and when he did he was taken down and pounded. He was mentally broken in this fight. Look at the end after Jones delivered that last knew Shogun was tapping like crazy, he didn't realize the ref had pulled Jones away.
I'm disappointed in Rashad. I think he comes across as disingenuous, in this interview. He says he's happy for JJ, but you can tell he's really not, because he knows he doesn't have a hope in hell of beating JJ.
Rashad quitting team Jackson - childish. What exactly is Greg supposed to do in this situation? What exactly would make Rashad happy? As I see it, RE can't say anything bad about Jones, because he will look weak and afraid and because he's been going on about how "good" a friends he and Jones are. Subsequently, the only person he can lash out at (like a child) is Jackson and he's doing exactly that; sucking his thumb and pouting like a two year old and blaming all of his problems on Jackson. That's BS.
Jackson has been nothing but helpful and professional in his relationship with Rashad; at least from what I can tell; as he is with all of his fighters. I see no reason why Evans would have this reaction. It's just sour grapes. I could certainly understand why he might want to go and camp with another trainer for this fight, but to leave your team, teammates, coach and coaching staff over this, the success of your teammate and alleged friend, is unprofessional.
I think the real problem (here) is - Evans is having problems adjusting and accepting the new reality of 205 and doesn't want to accept the fact and the reality, that he probably needs to move down to 185, because he has a better chance of beating Anderson, than he does his "friend" Jones.
I agree with a lot of what you wrote looking at it from the outside but that is just it; we are looking in from the outside. We have no idea what is going on behind the scenes. For all we know Greg told Evens that if he fought Jones Team Jackson would be done with him. If that is the case then Evens would have every right to feel betrayed.
"Splenda"
bones looked scared.
move Anderson up to lhw see how well Jones will do
People need to stop saying this shit. I am getting heart palpitations just thinking about it.
People need to stop saying Shogun looked bad he was fine just out matched.The fact is besides Anderson Silva,Jones doesn't have much comptition.
He was totally out matched. He still looked bad. Just because he would never beat Jones under any circumstances doesn't mean he wasn't also, in addition, off of his game.
Dana is smarter than that.. He wouldn't put an aging superstar against a rising one, especially because his opinion of Silva is so high, and it is likely that he would win. And please no responses bout how Jon Jones would maul Anderson, because that would not happen.
Jone and Rashad both said they don't want to fight each other and after all they don't mind to fight each other , so what is the point ? It will be a big event draw a lot of peoples
Rashad might not have a problem fighting Jones, but he will have a real problem winning the fight. Jones made Shogun look like a child, just imagine what he will do to Evans.
"I went to sleep, too"! At least Rashad can laugh about his shortcomings. I hope he beats Bones just to stir up the drama...But I don't see that happening...