UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) light heavyweight titlist Jon Jones is upping the ante in his quest to defend the honor of Greg Jackson’s gym, by beating Rashad Evans in their main event clash at UFC 145.
Original quotes reported by MMAmania.com.
“One part that is kind of there, I kind of feel like I’m defending kind of like the honor of this team. Rashad’s been badmouthing this team and really calling our team cliché and commercial and just really badmouthing Greg and our program’s loyalty and everything like that. I think he kind of has it all twisted in his own head, feeling as if people betrayed him. And, really, this is a family here and it’s the same program that it’s always been. Yeah, he’s been here longer than me but he doesn’t realize how much a family this team still is. There’s more people on this team than just the UFC fighters. We start from kids, to kids with no money, to kids who can’t speak English, there’s a whole family here. I’m here to defend this family and to defend everything he’s kind of said about us. I feel like me beating him solidifies that this is a program that’s going to live without him.”
The war of words between “Bones” Jones and “Suga” Rashad has slowly been gathering pace in the lead up to their eagerly anticipated and highly-acrimonious showdown, and as things stand neither side is willing to budge an inch.
In a recent interview with UFC.com, the 24-year-old phenom suggested that the former 205-pound champion chagrin towards him was as a result of envy, with regards to his meteoric rise in the MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) ranks.
Bones also made it clear that come UFC 145, he intends to put the indigenous New Yorker out of his misery, and in the process earn his respect.
Meanwhile, Evans told UFC.com he believes he has the requisite skill set to unseat the young champion. And to add a little spice to their ongoing hostilities, he tweeted a photo of someone resembling Jones (a Chris Brown fan), only that someone was dolled up all lady-like.
Accompanying the photo was this dig: “Damn! Jon Jones is always trying 2 one up me! I take a pic with a wig on & he goes full drag on me! Fine bro u win this rd!”
Following his victory against Ryan Bader and as a result of an injury sustained to Evans, Jones (15-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) was installed as the No. 1 contender to then-champion Mauricio Rua, which at the time Evans had no problem with.
Their bête noire for one another only came to the fore when Jones said he’d be willing to fight Evans (his training partner at Greg Jackson’s gym) on the say-so of UFC president Dana White.
Ever since, Evans (17-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) has born a grudge against Jones, so much so that he upped sticks from the aforementioned outfit to train at Imperial Athletics, that and the fact he believed Jackson was favoring Jones over him.
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