UFC 145: EVANS VS
JONES April 21, 2012 in Atlanta By Thomas Anderson
With his dominating unanimous decision victory over the once undefeated LHW prospect Phil Davis this past January at the UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago, “Suga” Rashad Evans has finally solidified his opportunity to regain the title he once held, as he faces off against current champion Jon “Bones” Jones. The fight scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 21st in Atlanta Georgia, is one of the most highly anticipated title fights in the history of the UFC. Two former training partners and a friendship long gone, with just 12 pounds of gold hanging in the balance this fight is being built up to be one of the most entertaining battles of the year. Former Light Heavyweight champion and current #1 contender, Rashad Evans is no stranger to the pressures of being in the spotlight, having been in the main event of his last three outings in the UFC. Evans last fought Phil Davis at UFC on Fox 2 in Chicago this past January and dominated Davis for 25 minutes, earning him the unanimous decision and securing him a shot at the title. Currently on a four fight win streak, the former champion has a (17-1-1) professional MMA record with his only loss coming by way of a vicious knockout at the hands of Lyoto Machida. That fight cost Evans his title back in 2009 at UFC 98 and Evans has been on a tear within the division ever since. The former prodigy of Greg Jackson, Evans left Jackson’s Submission Fighting in 2011 and joined the “Blackzilians” at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton Florida with a team of fellow fighters including Melvin Guillard, JZ Calvalcante and newest member of the crew, #1 heavyweight contender Alistair Overeem. His opponent, current light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones is coming off of a devastating submission victory over Lyoto Machida at UFC 140 that took place in December of last year, and is hungry to retain his title. Jones, the youngest champion ever in the UFC, entered the organization after fighting on the professional level for only four months. Having quite possibly the most meteoric rises to stardom in UFC history, 15-1 as a pro, his only loss was a DQ for illegal downward elbows against Matt Hamill. Jones went on to win his next three fights, earning himself a title shot against Mauricio Shogun Rua at UFC 128 in March of 2011. In a very one sided affair, Jones finished Shogun midway through the third round via Technical Knockout to win the gold at the age of 23. Since that win, the man they call “Bones” has gone on to successfully defend his title twice, with submission victories over Rampage Jackson and Machida. Rashad Evans presents Jones his biggest test, in that both men trained for several years in the same mats, under the same strategist Greg Jackson. Will Jon Jones show the world just why he is the fastest rising star in MMA by adding another name to his win column? Or will the seasoned experience of Rashad Evans prove to be just too strong? These questions will be answered on April 21st in Atlanta Georgia at UFC 145: EVANS vs. JONES.
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