Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans will have to wait a little while longer to get back what he feels rightfully belongs to him, the 205-pound title belt.
But rather than sit on the sidelines and wait for reigning champion Jon Jones to recover from elective surgery to repair a hand injury, which he has been dealing with since college, Evans agreed to fight Phil Davis instead at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, Pa., on August 6, 2011.
Despite the new opponent, Evans still has his sights on breaking "Bones" after he takes care of some "Wonderful" business in the "City of Brotherly Love" later this year.
Here's what he had to say today in an official statement:
Rather than stay busy and rematch Lyoto Machida -- the man who separated him from consciousness and took his belt in 2009 -- Evans decided to wait for his shot against the Brazilian.
It was eventually set for UFC 128 on March 19, 2011. But Evans tweaked his knee several weeks prior to the event, opening the door for his "friend" and training partner Jon Jones to challenge Shogun instead.
"Bones" kicked it down, abusing the champion and setting up the dreaded "Teammate vs. Teammate" scenario that so many camps dread. Only this case was a little different: Jones welcomed the opportunity, which was a sign of disrespect in the eyes of Evans.
A war of words ensued. Their trainer, Greg Jackson, refused to pick a side. So Evans bolted to train with a new camp in Florida, while Jones stayed in New Mexico.
It was ugly. It was heated. And it was all seemingly all for naught with Jones now injured.
But if this statement is any indication, we haven't heard the last of the beef between Evans and Jones. Not even close.
But rather than sit on the sidelines and wait for reigning champion Jon Jones to recover from elective surgery to repair a hand injury, which he has been dealing with since college, Evans agreed to fight Phil Davis instead at UFC 133 in Philadelphia, Pa., on August 6, 2011.
Despite the new opponent, Evans still has his sights on breaking "Bones" after he takes care of some "Wonderful" business in the "City of Brotherly Love" later this year.
Here's what he had to say today in an official statement:
"I’m looking forward to fighting Phil Davis August 6th at UFC 133, he’s a strong wrestler and a rising star in the light heavyweight division.I wish Jon Jones a speedy recovery, he has something that belongs to me and when he’s ready, I’ll be waiting.""Suga" earned the number one contender status almost one year ago, defeating Quinton "Rampage" Jackson via unanimous decision in an eliminator match at UFC 114. But one month later, then-champion "Shogun" Rua sustained another injury while training, postponing the match up indefinitely.
Rather than stay busy and rematch Lyoto Machida -- the man who separated him from consciousness and took his belt in 2009 -- Evans decided to wait for his shot against the Brazilian.
It was eventually set for UFC 128 on March 19, 2011. But Evans tweaked his knee several weeks prior to the event, opening the door for his "friend" and training partner Jon Jones to challenge Shogun instead.
"Bones" kicked it down, abusing the champion and setting up the dreaded "Teammate vs. Teammate" scenario that so many camps dread. Only this case was a little different: Jones welcomed the opportunity, which was a sign of disrespect in the eyes of Evans.
A war of words ensued. Their trainer, Greg Jackson, refused to pick a side. So Evans bolted to train with a new camp in Florida, while Jones stayed in New Mexico.
It was ugly. It was heated. And it was all seemingly all for naught with Jones now injured.
But if this statement is any indication, we haven't heard the last of the beef between Evans and Jones. Not even close.
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