Rashad Evans to former coach Greg Jackson: ‘You f—– created the situation’
Rashad Evans was a linchpin of Team Jackson when coach Greg Jackson discussed with him the possibility of bringing on then…
Rashad Evans was a linchpin of Team Jackson when coach Greg Jackson discussed with him the possibility of bringing on then risijng start Jon Jones. Initially resistant, Evans relented when Jackson assured him that should Jones ever be offered a fight against Evans, Jones would turn it down, that that was the Jackson way.
Evans had a title fight scheduled against then champion ‘Shogun’ Rua when a knee unjury forced him to withdraw. Jones was offered the shot, and amidst a background of increasingly harsh words with Evans, he accepted the fight. Rashad then publicly withdrew from Team Jackson. On Saturday night ‘Bones’ took the throne in crushing fashion, setting up a bout with rapidly healing #1 contender Rashad Evans.
While offering positive words for Jones, Evans exoressed bitter words for Jackson, first on twitter, and then in an exclusive interview with BloodyElbow.
Many of u probably already seen that I got offered the title shot & decided 2 take it. @jonnybones fought amazing! I’m very happy 4 him!
I no longer will use Greg Jackson as my coach but we r still coo! 505 4life
I will not use Greg ever again.. I really haven’t used him in a while anyways.. In my last 2 fights I trained with him 5x’s..
Greg brought this situation about. He brought Jones on board a while back against my wishes & here we r today.
so I decided 2 leave Greg because I felt like he didn’t have my best interest anymore. Greg is not the same coach he use 2 b.
that was the UFC that had me go in the cage! The moment belonged 2 Jones 4 sure! Respect!
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“When Jon Jones came to the gym over a year ago Greg Jackson came to me and said, “listen, what do you feel about having this kid on the team?” I told him straight up that I didn’t like it … that was the type of guy I wanted to fight not train with.
“Greg came back saying, “No, no, no this will be just like you and Keith where he will be just like a brother.”
“I still told him that I didn’t want to do that. Then Greg said if that situation ever did arise between Jones and I … he would have to turn down the fight with me so that way I wouldn’t be put in a position where I looked like a punk. That’s how it works in the Greg Jackson system.
“After a while Greg was so high on this kid coming in and I met Jon Jones and he was a very nice and very sweet kid, so eventually I said f— it, let’ s bring him in. After he got there and I trained with him and tried him out a little bit, something didn’t feel right so I moved my camp up to Denver to train at Grudge for a while. That is where I spent the majority of my time over the past two fights.”
“During my time at Grudge I wasn’t really dealing with Greg too much but we were maintaining a great relationship and friendship so after my last fight I decided I was going to head back to Albuquerque to train with Greg and everything felt good there. Jon and I were clicking on another level … It was starting to get to the point where it was like what Keith and I have where we feel like brothers.”
“I really felt that our friendship was on another level…but that wasn’t the case. When the first opportunity came and he said that he would fight me if Dana said so, that to me stung more than anything. He said that he didn’t want to lose his job and look man, the UFC isn’t going to fire anyone because they are turning down fights. If anything it would mess up future opportunities for them and they weren’t going to come to him and say, “if you don’t fight Rashad you are kicked out of the UFC.” That wasn’t going to happen.
“That interview was some backstabbing s— but now it’s like whatever because now I know the game he is playing. Then for Greg to sit back and say he doesn’t want to have anything to do with it….why not? You f—– created the situation. Be his coach and be in his corner. That’s what you want so do it. I don’t care if coaches against me. It doesn’t even matter.”
“He’s already in different ways told me that this kid is going to be the one that takes Greg Jackson’s legacy to the next level. He’s already sent that message to me so if you are going to send that message then stand behind it. It doesn’t matter to me. I know Greg Jackson’s system and I know Greg Jackson’s game plan.”
“I have a lot of motivation.I feel disrespected on many levels and the worst part is that it comes from people who I felt were like family. I would have done anything for Greg Jackson, and I would still do anything for Greg Jackson, but I felt disrespected beyond belief. I feel disrespected by Jon because when I think about when we trained or when we were chilling, was the s— even real? Or was he just trying to be a master manipulator and try to manipulate the situation so he could get what he wanted out of it?”
“I’m going to create my own camp from here on out because I’m not going to get bit again. The one thing I’m finding out over the course of this situation is that this is a business. It’s no longer what it used to be or how it was when I got into the sport or when Greg Jackson got into the sport. Before it was much more of a brotherly connection, wanting to see your teammates do well and to get in there because you really loved training together. There was a much better connection but now it’s business and it’s about money and has turned into a lot of things it has never been about for me. Now that it’s become that way to me in some respect I’m going to do my own thing.”
“Jones can have whoever he wants. Take Mike Winkeljohn. Take Greg Jackson. He can have whoever he wants and take the entire team. Like I said it doesn’t matter anymore and it is what it is.”
“I stay thirsty baby and I’m not going to let my little brother spank my ass that’s for sure.”
Jackson meanwhile describes Jones’ win as bittersweet, and calls Rashad his brother: