Team Jackson doing ‘lot of soul searching’ about Rashad
With Rashad Evans having publicly announced he was divorcing Jackson’s MMA, and then setting up a new camp at Imperial…
With Rashad Evans having publicly announced he was divorcing Jackson’s MMA, and then setting up a new camp at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida, it is now up to the staff at Jackson’s MMA to decide whether or not to coach and corner Lightheavyweight Jon Jones in his coming fight against Evans.
Greg Jackson is sticking to a long-held policy not to corner fighters against one another. Other coaches are still figuring things out.
“Everybody’s doing soul searching right now,” Jackson today told MMAjunkie.com.
“Everything was great,” Jackson said. “Then I think Jon gave an interview where he said he would fight him, and that hurt Rashad’s feelings, and it was just kind of a cascade from there. It’s just one of those unfortunate things that happen. But here we are.”
“I’m kind of leaning toward working with Jon, and Rashad had not opted to work with me personally in his last few fights,” said Jackson partner Mike Winkeljohn. “I feel like there had been a small split between us. I love the guy to death, and if there’s anybody that has the tools and uses them right and can challenge Jon Jones, it would be Rashad Evans. I just don’t know if I can coach against Rashad. So I haven’t figured that one out yet.”
“It’s hard because we’re all friends,” said Trevor Wittman, who’s worked closely with Evans at Jackson affiliate Grudge Training Center but only minimally with Jones. “It’s something that’s going to happen, which I figured was going to happen, and I kind of helped Rashad mentally prepare for it. But it’s ultimately up to the fighters.”
“On my end, Rashad Evans is one of my best friends,” Jackson said. “I love him to death. I don’t know how he feels, but I’m staying out of the fight, and I’m always cool.”
“I was really happy for Jon,” Jackson said of his student’s recent win. “I was really sad that he and Rashad were going to fight. So it was really bittersweet for me. Even if the whole thing had to happen that way, I still would feel the same.
“The world title, that’s for the guys. That’s not for me. I just enjoy the process of the fight and gameplanning and doing everything right in the corner.
“Obviously I wish it was different. But that’s life, and you’ve got to do the best you can with the hand you’re dealt.”