Jones-Evans: A Formidable Obstacle

Greg Jackson’s office normally contains the type of comfortable clutter indicative of someone whose mind is occupied with far more pressing matters than tidiness.

But on an early April day in New Mexico, the renowned trainer’s domain is reorganized and rearranged, the apparent result of an earnest spring cleaning. As for Jackson’s mind, well, it seems to be at least a little less burdened than it was a year ago at this time.

“So ask me about how much Rashad hates me,” Jackson quips, a playful nod to the repetitive line of questioning he has endured since Evans officially severed the ties with his team last March. Back then, Jackson was blindsided by the split, and when Rashad Evans aired his grievances to the world, it cut Jackson -- a man who places a premium on friendship -- deeply.

Evans’ exit cast a dark cloud over what Jackson had been building for years in his Southwestern dojo. He never intended for teammates to fight, and when Evans’ path to the UFC light heavyweight title intersected with Jon Jones,’ things got ugly in a hurry. Now Jackson has protocols in place for when stablemates are forced to lock horns, and it usually involves the coach gracefully stepping aside.

At UFC 145, things will be different. When Jones attempts to make his third successful 205-pound title defense against Evans at the Philips Arena in Atlanta on Saturday, Jackson will be in his corner. Evans, officially entrenched at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Fla., for nearly a year, has a new team behind him.

“None of this experience is gonna be fun,” Jackson says. “You can dress it up however you want to do it, but I hate the whole thing. I don’t want to be there. If I could just be selfish, I wouldn’t train anybody for any of the camp and just step out and not have to deal with any of it. But I’m not afforded that luxury, because I’m in the position I’m in.”

Given the option, it’s likely that Jones would have preferred to be absolved of all pre-fight media duties pertaining to Evans. When he was preparing for a Quinton Jackson or a Lyoto Machida, it was OK to politely sidestep questions about a potential showdown with “Suga.” Now, with the UFC hype machine in full effect, the feud is seemingly all anyone wants to talk about. Those around him say that extra attention surrounding this fight hasn’t distracted the champion from the business at hand.

“Jon’s pretty good at detaching from what’s going on,” says striking coach Mike Winkeljohn. “He sees that Rashad can’t let it go and it’s all consuming for Rashad. Jon says, ‘That’s important, but I’ve got to train.’ He understands that at the end of the day, you can posture, you can be mad about stuff, but you’ve got to be controlled in your rage in the cage.”

The personal element is what makes the fight so appealing. Even though he owns a resume that includes wins over Phil Davis, Michael Bisping, Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Quinton Jackson, Forrest Griffin and Chuck Liddell, Evans is a considerable underdog. On the basis of physical tools alone, the former light heavyweight champion isn’t considered to be a match for Jones, who blends reach, wrestling and creativity to near perfection.

When “Bones” was beating Ryan Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, Jackson and Machida last year, feelings weren’t part of the equation. Evans believes his experience with both Jackson’s MMA as a whole as well as that with Jones individually gives him an advantage that none of Jones’ previous opponents had.

“I know all about him, all about his coaches and all about his camp. I could probably tell you what he’s doing in the gym right now,” Evans stated in a release issued by the UFC in March. “He’s in the exact same environment doing the exact same things with the exact same people. But I’m in a different environment; I knew I had to learn, had to mix things up and I had to change. Jon has no idea what I will do on the night.”

If Jones is indeed that predictable, it isn’t as evident to his current teammates as it is to Evans. Travis Browne began training in Albuquerque prior to fighting Rob Broughton at UFC 135, the same card where Jones defeated “Rampage.” On Saturday, he’ll again share a bill with Jones as he takes on Chad Griggs. The Hawaiian heavyweight says that Jones manages to keep him guessing on a consistent basis.

“You think you have him figured out and then he does something, and you’re just like, ‘Where did that come from?’” And he’s like, ‘Well I just know it,’” Browne says. “It’s actually fun to sit around, talk to him about stuff and pick his brain. He’s always working on certain things for certain fighters...it’s always fun to watch how he adapts his game to every fighter.”

Jones himself is aware of Evans’ belief that everything has remained status quo in Albuquerque since he left for Florida. Jones also knows that line of thinking could cost his fellow New York native dearly when they square off in the Octagon.

“He thinks he knows everything I bring to the table, but a lot has changed since he left the gym a year ago,” Jones said. “I'm a much different fighter than the one he trained with. I hope he is ready to see and feel that difference.”

Winkeljohn says that Jones has progressed immensely from the time he first arrived in New Mexico prior to facing Matt Hamill at “The Ultimate Fighter 10” Finale. The former Team Bombsquad representative possessed much of the same creativity for which he is lauded today, but it was largely unharnessed. Winkeljohn has worked with him on being in the right place at the right time, throwing strikes with a purpose and landing with more power.

The power surfaced late in Jones’ UFC 140 contest with Machida, as he dropped the Brazilian with a left hand moments before securing the fight-ending guillotine choke. If Jones continues to develop legitimate KO ability, it will add to an ever-growing laundry list of concerns for future foes. At this point, it would be risky to bet against him not adding to his arsenal.

“He has just grown leaps and bounds every camp. He’s one of those guys that just doesn’t seem to have a ceiling. Every time that I think he’s really gotten to that next level, he just kind of breaks through it and is able to push even farther,” Jackson says. “I’m incredibly impressed with how he’s handling his success and how coachable he is.”

After expressing a desire to take a break following his win over Machida, Jones showed up for his current camp fit and motivated. If he was experiencing any type of hangover from a 2011 that will go down as one of the best individual years in MMA history, it didn’t show.

“Jon came to camp in better shape than he has in any of our previous camps,” Winkeljohn said. “He’s doing everything right; he seems more focused on it.”

According to Browne, Jones’ drive and intelligence are contagious.

“We always try to one-up each other to make ourselves better. I think that’s what teammates do,” Browne says. “He’s 24, but he’s got so much knowledge of the sport already. He’s been around Greg Jackson and a lot of these guys, and he’s taken himself out of his comfort zone to talk with people, to really learn about the sport and immerse himself in it. It’s actually eye-opening to see how much he really knows about it.”

Evans was once in a similar position as Jones, and can be credited as one of the fighters who helped Jackson’s MMA rise to prominence. He was persuaded by Keith Jardine to try the gym shortly after the two became friends during Season 2 of “The Ultimate Fighter.” He became the second Jackson’s MMA fighter to capture UFC gold when he defeated Forrest Griffin at UFC 92. He lost the belt to Machida in his next bout, however, and that is where Winkeljohn believes the fracture truly began.

After the loss, the former Michigan State University Spartan became a more frequent inhabitant of the Denver-based Grudge Training Center, a school which maintains a close relationship with Jackson’s MMA. The divide widened when Evans began his “TUF” coaching stint against “Rampage” in the early portion of 2010.

“I think that’s when he split,” Winkeljohn says. “I didn’t go up there and help him coach ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ I wanted to stay and work with my current fighters; I told him I’d be there if he absolutely needed me to. I think he found a fit with (Grudge coach) Trevor Wittman. Rashad was looking maybe for something different, and people do that after they lose. I think that’s when he decided. I don’t know if it was a conscious decision, but that’s when it happened.”

Evans hasn’t lost since, capping off a four-fight unbeaten stretch with a dominant five-round decision over Davis at UFC on Fox 2. While “Suga” didn’t get the finish that he hoped for, he did succeed in making a previously unbeaten opponent look ordinary. Given an opening, he can potentially test Jones’ chin.

“At certain times Rashad’s got one-punch power and anybody can get caught. We’ve seen (Dan Henderson) with the same thing. He can be losing a fight, and all of a sudden a big shot changes the whole game for you,” Winkeljohn said. “Rashad’s (also) very heavy when he’s on top. We’re prepared for that -- if and when he gets there, Jon has the ability to defeat that position. Those are the two biggest things.”

Winkeljohn has maintained a cordial relationship with Evans since his departure. The 34-year-old former champion has remained in touch with the striking coach, even calling Winkeljohn to compliment his work with Jones after watching “Bones” in action.

“He thinks I’m doing a great job,” Winkeljohn says. “There’s no animosity that way with us. It’s a job that I have and he’s got a job. In a small way, I’m kind of excited about it, because Rashad knows that I’ve trained him and I know that he knows.”

Meanwhile, Jackson and Evans haven’t spoken. But Jackson has helped devise a strategy to defeat his former charge out of principle, not spite.

“We’re not a collection of guys that just get together on the weekends. We’re a really tight brotherhood and sisterhood. I have a duty to this team. That duty kind of made a decision for me,” Jackson says.

Jackson has no doubt that Evans is Jones’ most formidable adversary to date. He should know -- after all, neither man would be who he is today without the other.

“I absolutely feel Rashad is Jon’s greatest threat. He’s so good; he’s so talented,” Jackson said. “He’s a smart fighter, and he’ll come with a smart plan. He’s amazing. For sure he’s gonna be Jon’s biggest test.”