Author: Mike Hodges

Rashad Evans Says Title Bout "Won’t Go Five Rounds" Against Jon Jones at UFC 145

It didn’t take long for the trash talk to resurface between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, who are set to meet in the main event at UFC 145 on April 21st.The ongoing feud between Evans and Jones has intrigued fans ever since the announcement of their titl…

It didn’t take long for the trash talk to resurface between Rashad Evans and Jon Jones, who are set to meet in the main event at UFC 145 on April 21st.

The ongoing feud between Evans and Jones has intrigued fans ever since the announcement of their title bout, originally scheduled for UFC 133 last year.

The bitter rivals have spent a few years training side-by-side at Greg Jackson’s MMA and know each other better than anyone in the UFC. It has led Evans to approach the bout without caution and hesitation, since he’s familiar with Jones’ style. He thinks he can recapture the UFC light heavyweight title.

“I’ve got big advantages knowing what he’s going to do, just knowing the range, where I need to fight him at,” Evans told MMAWeekly.com. “I already know what I need to do.”

While Jones’ recent dominance throughout the 205-pound division has impressed many fans, it hasn’t phased the 32-year-old Evans. Like Jones, Evans also held the light heavyweight crown at one point, looking every bit as dominant, before relinquishing the belt to Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 in 2009.

Evans pointed to the previous champions who have fallen from grace, and he claims Jones’ reign will come to an end in similar fashion.

“There’s been so many people like him that’s always been ‘the one.’ That’s the secret, there is no ‘one,’” he said. “Anybody can lose, any given day, and he’s going to find that out.”

With just over two months to go before their anticipated title bout, both Evans and Jones will likely continue to take verbal jabs at one another. But when asked on his prediction of the fight, Evans made a bold statement.

“This fight won’t go five rounds,” he said. 

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UFC 145: Jon Jones Says Fight with Rashad Evans Will "Bring out the Best" in Him

After nearly a year of anticipating the long-awaited grudge match between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, the wait is finally over.The former teammates will headline UFC 145 on April 21 in a bout that is driven by a personal rivalry more than competition.S…

After nearly a year of anticipating the long-awaited grudge match between Jon Jones and Rashad Evans, the wait is finally over.

The former teammates will headline UFC 145 on April 21 in a bout that is driven by a personal rivalry more than competition.

Since his ascension in the light heavyweight division last year, Jones has been touted as the “future of the sport,” while Evans has consistently remained one of the top fighters at 205 pounds. The two rivals have worked closely together since training at Greg Jackson’s MMA in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

However, Evans and Jones had a fallout, and it forced “Suga” to train elsewhere. Now he’s with Mike Van Arsdale at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida.

Despite the change in scenery, Jones still hasn’t forgotten his past relationship with the former UFC light heavyweight champion and is confident it will motivate him to put on a strong performance. 

“I think that my opponent will be in my head this fight,” Jones said during UFC 145 pre-fight press conference. “And I want him in my head because I realize when people are in my head, it brings out the best in me, and that’s what I’m prepared to show.”

The 24-year-old Jones has built quite the impressive resume over the last year, earning wins over some of the division’s prominent fighters such as Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson.

But the idea of facing Evans presents a much bigger task for Jones than ever before. It gives the UFC light heavyweight champion the opportunity to solidify his superiority among the rest of the division and exact revenge on an old friend.

And it’s a task he’s thoroughly capable of accepting.

“I’m going to be cliche and say I’m going to go out there with great intentions and train really hard and just have fun,” he said. “I realize when I have fun great things happen. Magical things happen.”

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Anderson Silva: The Fight Between Me and Jon Jones Is No Good

Anderson Silva might still be interested in facing Georges St-Pierre, but he has turned down any inclination between a potential bout between himself and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.Jones’ unorthodox style and physical gifts bare a similar…

Anderson Silva might still be interested in facing Georges St-Pierre, but he has turned down any inclination between a potential bout between himself and UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Jones’ unorthodox style and physical gifts bare a similar resemblance to the Brazilian’s, often leading many fans to speculate a super-fight involving the two competitors. 

However, Silva spoke to ESPN.com about the future matchup with Jones and declined the option to face him, citing the fact they both fight in different weight classes.

“The fight between me and JJ is no good, he is a different [weight] class,” Silva said.

Jones has had a monumental year, dethroning Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and successfully defending the 205-pound title against Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Lyoto Machida. Many fans feel Jones does not have enough challengers in the light heavyweight division, and should test his skills in the heavyweight division or against “The Spider.”

Silva has developed a friendship with the 24-year-old Jones over the last year and also sees that as a potential factor from preventing the bout from occurring.

“I saw the first time that Jon Jones fought. I talked to JJ for 3-4 days when we stayed together. I told him, ‘You’re the best, you focus on training, you have more and more fights a year, but you don’t have opening (opponents),'” he said.

Recently, Silva has suddenly turned his attention to a potential super-fight with fellow-pound-for-pound kingpin, St-Pierre, citing it as a good fight for him to be apart of.

“He is a good guy,” he said of St-Pierre. “Maybe one day, this is a good fight.”

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Rampage Jackson Says UFC 144 is "Something Personal" For Him

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson became a main staple during his tenure in PRIDE FC and earned somewhat of a cult-following with Japanese fans.The 34-year-old Jackson went on to establish himself as a household name, due to his aggressive style and colorful p…

Quinton “Rampage” Jackson became a main staple during his tenure in PRIDE FC and earned somewhat of a cult-following with Japanese fans.

The 34-year-old Jackson went on to establish himself as a household name, due to his aggressive style and colorful personality. And when he returns to Japan next weekend to face Ryan Bader at UFC 144, he’ll be looking to entertain fans once again. 

“I really miss the fans, I’m not going to lie. I really miss fighting there,” Jackson said during a UFC 144 conference call.

It was his love for the Japanese fans that excited him and allowed him to collect such a violent array of wins over some of the organization’s top stars, including his vicious knockout slam of Ricardo Arona.

Jackson recalled the fans not taking much interest in a fighter’s statistics or winning streaks, which helped him perform and put on exciting matchups, whereas in the UFC, it ultimately determines one fighter’s success. 

Since coming to the UFC in 2007, Jackson has seen a lack of enthusiasm from the fans.

“I don’t think people understand, in America everybody is worried about who’s going to win, and this and that. Like, it ain’t all about that,” he said. “It’s entertainment at the end of the day. The fans, they want to see entertaining fights, and fans got that. I don’t think America has that yet.”

Jackson will enter his bout against Bader coming off a loss to UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, in search of a win and a chance to challenge for the title once more. 

And as great as it would be to record his first win in Japan in over six years, Jackson said the bout holds more significance than that.

“It’s something personal for me,” he said. “My kids are from Japan. My kids’ grandparents are from there, and they never really watched me fight back in the day. I’ve never had that before, so it’s just something I want to do.”

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Alistair Overeem on Junior Dos Santos: "I Already Know How to Beat Him"

As Alistair Overeem looks ahead to a future title bout with Junior dos Santos, the Dutchman seems to have figured him out already.Overeem’s first round win over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 led to a title shot against the Brazilian, and he hopes on seizing …

As Alistair Overeem looks ahead to a future title bout with Junior dos Santos, the Dutchman seems to have figured him out already.

Overeem’s first round win over Brock Lesnar at UFC 141 led to a title shot against the Brazilian, and he hopes on seizing the opportunity, especially since he has aligned himself with Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida.

And with a new camp on his side, Overeem is confident he can prepare a proper gameplan in order to find holes in the newly-crowned champion.

“The game plan is good to go, I already know how to beat him,” Overeem told MMAFightCorner.com. “It’s just a matter of training and getting my body and mind in the 100 percent condition that it needs to be in, and it’s going to turn out perfectly-just fine.”

Prior to entering the UFC, Overeem made a name for himself throughout the world, competing in K-1 and DREAM. In addition to his success overseas, Overeem has captured numerous titles including the Strikeforce heavyweight title.

His experience and world-class striking will certainly make this heavyweight bout one of the more intriguing fights, stylistically. 

And Overeem will look to utilize his striking ability in hopes of exposing dos Santos on May 26th in Las Vegas.

“Every fight style has holes—Dos Santos has them, too. I don’t want to give away the surprise, but you’re going to see it,” he said.

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UFC Commentator Joe Rogan: I Think Marijuana Is a Performance-Enhancing Drug

Reaction towards Nick Diaz’s failed drug test following UFC 143 continues to run rampant.The Stockton, Calif. native tested positive for marijuana after his five-round title bout against Carlos Condit. It was his second offense, and he will likely rece…

Reaction towards Nick Diaz‘s failed drug test following UFC 143 continues to run rampant.

The Stockton, Calif. native tested positive for marijuana after his five-round title bout against Carlos Condit. It was his second offense, and he will likely receive disciplinary action.

Although Diaz has found himself in a grey area regarding marijuana usage in mixed martial arts, there are some who feel it should be tolerated more leniently as opposed to more harmful drugs such as HGH.

UFC color commentator Joe Rogan appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani to discuss the issues surrounding marijuana in the sport.

“I think it is a performance-enhancing drug,” Rogan said.

“A lot of Brazilian guys use marijuana before they train. A lot of American jiu-jitsu guys use it before they train. And they don’t do it because it hurts them; they do it because it helps them.”

Diaz’s use of marijuana is well-documented. He last tested positive in 2006 after competing against Takanori Gomi in PRIDE FC, and the bout was later ruled as a no-contest.

His second offense could result in a more severe consequence, possibly facing up to a year’s suspension.

Rogan commented on how Diaz carries himself towards the media, and despite coming under scrutiny from media, fans and management, Rogan said the former Strikeforce welterweight champion needs proper guidance.

“He needs like a Cus D’Amato-type character, who’s there watching everything he does and making things easy for him,” he said.

“Test him on your own. It’s not expensive. Test him in advance and make sure he’s clean. Make sure he doesn’t have issues.”

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