The build up to UFC 145 seems like it has taken forever. The reality though is that Jon Jones and Rashad Evans have been on a collision course since Jones received a shot at Mauricio Rua’s light heavyweight title.
For over a year, the two fighters took shots at each other in the media and at one point even had to be separated at a night club by Georges St. Pierre. With the fights just a week away, the time for talk is over.
Don’t expect the pre-fight trash talk to shake Jones’ confidence. He’s already had to deal with more controversy before the fight with Quinton Jackson.
“I wouldn’t say that it’s been the most exhausting lead up to a fight. It kind of reminds me of the Rampage (Jackson) fight. We had smack talking, controversy. It was drama in the Rampage fight too,” said Jones.
“Someone calling me fake or cocky, that does nothing to me, it’s like alright. I really believe only God can judge me. But somebody calling me a cheater, that really got to me. So I wouldn’t say this was the most exhausting build up to a fight, not at all.”
Jon Jones has settled in as UFC champion. After successful title defenses against Quinton Jackson and Lyoto Machida, Jones is poised to become the face of the UFC. There’s been recent discussion about the UFC’s decision to sponsor Jones for his fight with Evans.
“I’ve had a goal of being sponsored by Nike for many, many years and a part of our strategy to try to make that happen one day is to not be a billboard, and not just be sponsored by TapOut one week and Affliction one week and then MusclePharm next week and then all of these random companies.”
He added “But we came up with a strategy to keep it clean and be sponsored by the UFC itself and I’m glad the UFC wanted to work with me as well and I think they trust that I’ll never make them look bad.”
Jones views the fight with Evans as not just the most important of his MMA career but also as the biggest fight in the history of the light heavyweight division. He may be right. Based on media attention, the fight with Evans should be one of the most financially successful in the history of the UFC.
“This fight it has been referred to on several occasions as the Ali vs. Frazier of our sport and of our time,” Jones said. “I think that this fight would sell out in Madison Square Garden the first day that tickets went on sale and that’s amazing. I think it would sell out the Yankee Stadium. It would sell out anything.”
While he may be over-exaggerating about the reach of this fight, there is one thing that everyone can agree upon, the fight between Jones and Evans will be the fight to decide who reigns supreme in the light heavyweight division. The time for talk is over and now it’s time to put up or shut up.
All quotes were obtained from UFC 145: Jones vs. Evans timeline posted to UFC extranet.
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