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'Soft' Rashad is over the hill - Jones

Rashad Evans dominated Phil Evans © Getty Images

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Jon Jones has ripped into the performance of Phil Davis at UFC on Fox 2, and the light-heavyweight champion claims Rashad Evans is in decline.

Evans dominated Davis in Chicago on Saturday but he faced little opposition in a tame version of Phil Davis. Five one-sided rounds booked Evans a title shot against Jones, but the champion was far from impressed.

"Phil, man, I don't know what got into him," Jones said on The MMA Hour. "He did not look like a lion. I think with fighters, no matter how tough you are, there's just lions and there's wolves and there's sheep. He just kind of looked like a sheep out there. He didn't come with much.

"I think he got a little intimidated by Rashad. And the pressure of being on Fox, how many millions of people were watching the fight, I just don't think he handled the situation well. That's why, when I was broadcasting, I said this is where we'll see where Phil's at, if he's going to be a top-level guy or a mid-tier fighter.

"Judging by the performance [Saturday] night, I don't know if I can consider himself a wolf."

Jones and Evans will go toe-to-toe at UFC 145 in April, in a clash that sees the latter aiming to win the title for a second time. However, Jones is convinced Evans has lost something from the days when he used to beat Chuck Liddell and Rampage Jackson, insisting he is in decline at his Blackzilians training camp.

"I think that's going to be the biggest difference in the fight, my youth, my ambition, my drive, my creativity. Rashad's been fighting for, I don't know, maybe eight years," Jones said.

"Many of the years, he trained with the coaches that are coaching me to beat him. I definitely didn't see any progressions. I feel like he's coming down the other side of the hill. Even his body looked softer."

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