Jon Jones and Rashad Evan's Beef

What is reallllllllllly going on here? I know the beginning stages on how once Rashad got injured and Jones went in to bat. And that they both verbally agreed that they would NEVER fight each other. Then, Jones wins and Rashad says you can never say never?? I thought these two guys liked each other, but the more that I'm reading its looking like two different things. Of course, this may all be hype like some fighters do to get ratings/publicity but still. Then, I read on one of the mma websites, that Jones doesn't need surgery since it was a pre existing condition from college and now Rashad has a new match. Is Jones really avoiding Evans? Comments please

thats a pretty sketchy guarantee man.....haha 

@anthony bones not losing ever is just ******** dude...cmon...if bones does clean out lhw...he'll go up to hw and get beat down by the upper echelon of the division.......

Believe it or not, the one fighter I think can give Jones at least a semi-tough time is Alexander Gustafsson - because he's the only one out there with the size to hang with Jones; and Gustafsson will probably get a crack at him, say late 2012 or early '13.

I can conceivably see Gustafsson running Jones to a decision - albeit a lopsided one, like 50-44 or 50-43 on the judges' scorecards.  No one else will even drag Jones into a 4th round - and most won't even get him into the 2nd from here on.

And jaffacakehero: How can they force Jones to move up to HW if he doesn't want to do it?  And if they try, he should tell them to go to hell. 

* Edited at 07.30.2011, 9:11 AM ET *

wait til he beats a top 10 light heavyweight that isn't rusty as hell before you say noone can beat him. if rampage doesn't beat him i guarantee Rashad will.

Rashad won't last 3 minutes with Jones.

your probably right Rashad will knock him out in 2 minutes

Why are you so dismissive of Jones' abilities?

* Edited at 07.30.2011, 9:11 AM ET *

Im not i just think Rashad is a better fighter and i dont think Jones has been tested yet.

and you hate jones......haha

But Rashad is a natural middleweight - if he's even that.

As for whether I "like" or "hate" Jones, that will be decided if/when he does fight Rashad.  If he takes the high road after the fight, I'll like him from then on; but if he gloats and rubs Rashad's nose in it - which at this point I think is more likely - then I won't.

* Edited at 07.30.2011, 9:19 AM ET *

but he is still dominating at light heavyweight. and yes i hate Jones.

I posted in another thread that a little while ago I saw a picture of Jackson's camp and it looked like Nate M. was bigger than Rashad, but you're right @thiago, he is still a dominating LHW and he needs to stay there until a career change is needed.  Why do you hate Jon Jones so much @Thiago?  You may have said why, but I can't remember.

I hope rampage puts jones on his ass and then rashad fights him afterward and brutally kos him.  Then jones retires.  I doubt itll happen but id enjoy it a lot.  I think jones takes a hard fought decision (one of those fights ill flip flop on for a bit) against rampage.

I've got a news flash for you, walter kronkite...

Jones is a far superior fighter to Rashad or Rampage.  There's a reason he's -500 against Rampage and opened up at -525 against Rashad when that fight was rumored.  If you think he just hasn't been tested yet and that one of these guys will provide the big test, you're probably going to be disappointed.

@greg nice post!! While i do agree i still hope one can test his chin and because of my dislike for him i hope his chin fails!

I think it's a win-win-win-win set up for the UFC now, think of the potential championship matchups now:

Evans-Rampage II, Evans-Jones (former friends), Ortiz-Rampage (former friends), Ortiz-Jones (Torch passing)

UFC can sell any of these fights easily.

@gregory I'm curious on your thoughts on why Jones is "far superior" to Rashad. I think Evans vs Jones would be a good close fight. Both of them have a wide range of skills and I don't think you can point to one thing and say either one has a huge advantage. When they used to train together Rashad would take Jones down and hold him down and Jones would beg Rashad to let him up. I like both guys a lot and I think they are both great fighters. (I don't throw around the word great too often) I just don't see how Jones is so much better then Evans?

@p4p -

Here's how I see it.  It's based simply on watching both of them fight.

Watching their fights is the only thing we know first-hand.  When they used to train together we don't know what happened.  I don't believe the rumor that "Rashad would take Jones down and hold him down and Jones would beg Rashad to let him up."

I don't know who said it, if it's out of context, if it's an exaggeration, if it was just fun and games, or if it's simply not true.  I can't trust or use that information.

The information I trust is what I see with my own eyes.  What I see is that Jones is an amazing, rare, unique talent.  With Rashad I see a good, quality fighter.  The oddsmakers felt the same way when they released a -525 line on Jones vs Evans.  Honestly, the betting line is pretty much the only explanation I need.

What requires explanation is why anyone feels differently. If you believe the oddsmakers are flat-out wrong, it's going to take a serious, in-depth breakdown to make your case.

Watching them fight is the best way to tell how good a guy is @gregory you're right. Jones has beaten Shogun and that's about it. Bader is way overated and Vera isn't that good. Matt Hamill is ok but not real good. Evans has beaten Thiago Silva, Rampage, Forrest and Chuck. At the UFC 135 press conference in which I attended Jones was asked by a fan if it was true that Evans took him down and held him down and Jones said "yes" and then he went on to say that he's a lot better now and that wouldn't happen if they fought. I think Rashad has a mental edge on Jones and I think it would be a big difference. The oddsmakers can say whatever but they are wrong at times like this one. You kinda talk like Jones is this unbeatable super human and Rashad is way beneath him. Rashad won the ultimate fighter at heavyweight, he's the former lhw champion with victories over top level 205ers and he's 20-1-1 in his mma career. I'd say Jones vs Evans would be one hell of a fight and if anyone beats Jones it will be Rashad.

@p4p I'll be the first to admit that Jones is not unbeatable. Of course he could lose. All it takes is one mistake, one instant, and it's over.  But that's the case with anyone.

You try and discredit some of Jones' past opponents, but I don't believe in playing that game.  At this level in the UFC, all these fighters are dangerous and capable - both the guys that Jones has faced and the guys that Rashad has faced.

Jones has basically never lost a single minute of any fight he's ever been in and has never been in danger of losing at any point.  It's been nothing but complete domination.

Rashad is a very good fighter. But he:
- Was hurt badly by Rampage and at risk of being stopped
- Was hurt badly by Thiago Silva and at risk of being stopped
- Got dominated and knocked out by Machida
- Drew with Tito Ortiz and may have lost without Tito's point deduction
- Has had 4 more split decisions in the UFC


There's no comparison.

@Kalibo: Nate M. as you call him is bigger than Rashad - about 3" bigger than him in fact.

@Piercerdan: If Jon Jones does lose to Rampage, he will run off and have his thumb operated on, and you won't see him in the Octagon again for quite a while.