Rashad: New camp about love & respect, unlike Jackson’s MMA
Earlier this year, Rashad Evans split with his longtime home at Greg Jackson’s camp after former training partner Jon Jones…
Earlier this year, Rashad Evans split with his longtime home at Greg Jackson’s camp after former training partner Jon Jones won the belt (as a replacement for injured Evans). Immediately after that victory over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Jones said he welcomed a fight with his friend.
But not wanting to train at the same camp as his potential opponent and miffed by the whole situation, Evans severed ties and relocated to Florida to train with the upstart Imperial Athletics. The ragtag group of notables includes many other camp castoffs, including a group of UFC and Strikeforce veterans who splintered off from Florida’s American Top Team.
“My new camp played a huge role,” Evans said of last night’s victory over Tito Ortiz at UFC 133. “I’m training with some of the best guys in South Florida and in the country. We came together, and we all had the same mind. We came from gyms where things didn’t work out.
“We decided to make a camp together. It was going to be about training, love and respect – some of the things we felt were missing from camps before. Mike Van Arsdale, the head coach, has really put together a great situation.”
“We keep adding to the equation. My teammates (including Jorge Santiago and Gesias “JZ” Cavalcante) are so motivational. We’re so behind each other. It’s like a real family. When you’re able to be in that atmosphere, and you’re able to train feeling so secure and so great, it allows you to achieve anything.”