Greg Jackson: ‘It’s not like I’m their dad’
Rashad Evans has suggested trainer Greg Jackson is to blame for letting Jon Jones join their camp and set up…
Rashad Evans has suggested trainer Greg Jackson is to blame for letting Jon Jones join their camp and set up a teammate-versus-teammate matchup, but Jackson has a different take.
Rashad can say maybe he was uncomfortable with it, but when I asked him if could come on the team, he said yes, Jackson explained recently on the Sherdog Radio Network’s Beatdown show. Everybody said yes. There’s a ton of people I’ve turned away because [team members] have said, ‘I’m not really comfortable with that person. I don’t want you to do it.’ I’ve got a list of those guys too. They’re very good fighters, and I’m not going to name names that I’ve had to turn away for that very reason. Everybody was all right with [Jones], and now they’re not.
I want talented people around talented people. Remember, these guys were really cool with each other until like a couple of weeks ago and then it all kind of went downhill because I guess Jon said something that hurt Rashad’s feelings and then it just kind of, I don’t know, it went out of control from there.”
If they choose to fight each other, it’s not like I’m their dad or I own them or anything like that. If they’re making those choices, of course I’m disappointed, but if it’s what everybody wants, then I’m just going to stay out of it.
That’s part of the reason why we don’t want to fight each other, Jackson said of the fighters training together while concerned that they may fight in future. That’s what people will never understand. Business people will never understand. … You want to keep that vibe of not having that around because everyone’s going to hold on to their own techniques and no one’s really going to grow. Why train with somebody in the first place if they’re not going to be showing you stuff, not helping you out?
Listen to entire interview… (47:08 mark)
