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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