Greg Jackson could be cornering against former student and close friend Rashad Evans at UFC 145.
In a recent appearance on the Sherdog Radio Network’s “Savage Dog Show,” the head MMA trainer at Jackson’s MMA hinted at the possibility of being in UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones’ corner when meets Evans on April 21:
“I’ve got to sit down and make my decision and see what I feel is best for the team. Not for me, because I have my own personal feelings where I never want to ever do that. I’m going back and forth now because I have to think about what it means to be on a team. Are we just a collection of friends that train together? For me, it’s much more than that. It means something to be on this team, and it means something to have teammates. Rashad kind of left that. I don’t know, I’m leaning toward cornering Jon right now. Just because, am I selfish? Am I going to make this about me, or am I going to make this about the team? I can’t be self-centered. Even though it’s something that I don’t want to do, it might end up that way.”
Evans has admitted on several occasions that he was upset at Jackson for inviting Jones into the training camp. Jones had serious potential from day one, and it didn’t take a rocket scientist to acknowledge the possibilities of him ascending to the top of the light heavyweight ranks in the future.
Evans didn’t look at the situation as gaining another great teammate and training partner. His crystal ball foretold a future of instability in a once tight-knit group.
They should change Evans’ nickname from “Sugar” to “Nostradamus.”
Jones breezed through the light heavyweight division. In March 2011, he was given an opportunity to step in as a late replacement for Evans in a title bout with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua.
Unfortunately for Evans, his nightmare became a reality. Jones dominated Rua to become the new UFC light heavyweight champion.
“It’s beyond blame,” Evans said in an interview with MMAWeekly.com. “Greg knew what he was doing, what was up with it when he brought [Jones] into camp, and that’s why I don’t have much to say to Greg anymore.”
Regardless of the outcome in his bout with Jones, Evans has vowed never to return to Jackson’s MMA. Jackson has had his share of breakups with former students, but he sincerely hopes that some form of a friendship is salvageable from this tough situation:
“I still consider him a friend. Right now, he’s really angry, and he’s saying a lot of negative things. I don’t want much to do with that, so I’m just kind of keeping my distance, so that’s where we’re at. I certainly hope [a friendship] is salvageable with Rashad. I don’t know, those questions are more for Rashad. For me, my heart’s kind of an open book. I might have to do things that I might dislike doing for the good of the team.”
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