Evans: I didn’t handle everything right with Jones

Rashad Evans was the first UFC champion out of Jackson-Winkeljohn MMA. When a young Jon Jones wanted to join the team, Evans okayed it, with the provision that Jones would not challenge him for the title. Then through a convoluted set of circumstances Jones got the title, and it was Evans who was the challenger. Evans did not feel adequate support from Jackson’s, and so ‘divorced’ the team, going on to co-found the Blackzilians.

Jones and Evans then engaged in a tsunami of pre-fight trash prior to their 2012 fight at UFC 145. Jones won, with Evans giving him his hardest fight up until that point.

Jones’ career is in shambles, while Evans is maturing into one of MMA’s elder statesmen. Blackzilians Anthony Johnson and Vitor Belfort each fight for a title at UFC 187 on May 23, 2015 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. With the passage of time, Evans wishes he had done some things differently.

“For me, Jon Jones and that whole experience taught me a lot,” said Evans to Marc Raimondi for MMAFighting.com. “Jon Jones was one of my favorite training partners and I would have loved to be able to see what we could have done together if we were able to stay together. Our training sessions were really good. We had some really good training sessions. I felt like we could have learned a lot from each other and raised each other’s game up.”

“I think at some point you have to look back and see your role in the situation. Looking back and seeing my whole role in the situation, I didn’t handle everything right.”

“He’s one of my favorite fighters to watch. Even when he fights, I kind of root for the guy. I get excited when I see him pull off moves that nobody else can do. I still got that feeling for the guy. I don’t hate him and there’s no reason for me to act like I do hate him. Would I fight him? Yeah, I’d fight him. But for the most part I don’t hate the guy.”