Jon Jones reminisces over the good times with Rashad Evans at Jackson-Wink MMA but says their training days are most likely over.
Before Daniel Cormier, there was Rashad Evans. ‘Suga’, who was a former training partner and friend of Jones in Albuquerque, New Mexico, was Jones’ first real rival in the Octagon.
When Evans left Jackson-Wink MMA to establish his own gym in Florida – Blackzilians – things turned sour between the two. Once good friends-turned arch rivals, their relationship provided a fitting story for a grudge match at UFC 145.
It was ‘Bones’ who got the better of the two, cruising to a unanimous decision victory to retain his light heavyweight title for the third time. Since then, Jones catapulted to the top of the rankings as the pound-for-pound #1, while Evan’s skills and motivation slowly deteriorated over time.
In Evans’ last outing, the Ultimate Fighter Season 2 heavyweight winner was knocked out in the first round by Glover Teixeira, which prompted Jones to send his former teammate some encouraging words on Instagram (since deleted).
Jones opened up about his history with Evans at a UFC 197 media scrum, and said he holds no ill will towards the 36-year-old.
“I think it’s safe to say my beef with Rashad is gone, Jones said (h/t Jed Meshew of MMA Fighting). “You know I won that fight when we fought so if anyone were to have hurt feelings I would imagine it would be him. Me and Rashad had really great moments before our drama started and you know those moments, I think me and him will both remember those good times.”
Although their rivalry is no more, Jones doesn’t believe they will ever train together again, due to Evans’ loyalty to Blackzilians.
“As far as Rashad coming down to Jackson’s, I think he’d be a tremendous training partner but at the same time I think he’s a little too close to Anthony Johnson. I think his loyalty will always be with Anthony over me and I don’t know how much I could trust him to be a training partner in the future.”
Anthony Johnson, who has emerged as a reinvigorated LHW contender since ditching the welterweight division, was expected to step in for an injured Daniel Cormier to face Jones at UFC 197. ‘Rumble’, however, underwent dental surgery earlier this month and will have to sit out.
Instead, Jones will take on Ovince Saint Preux for the interim light heavyweight championship at UFC 197 tomorrow night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.