• UFC 145

Rashad has a dodgy knee - Jones

ESPN staff
April 16, 2012
Jon Jones defends his UFC light-heavyweight title against Rashad Evans © Getty Images
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Jon Jones insists he has no fear of Rashad Evans ahead of their UFC light-heavyweight showdown at UFC 145 on Saturday.

While Jones is widely expected to retain his belt, many believe former champion Evans can prevail if he can succeed in putting the champion on his back.

But Jones insists Evans' injuries will prove problematic and remains confident in his wrestling abilities even if he does get taken down.

"I know where he's hurt," Jones told the Los Angeles Times. "He's getting older. He has a hurt rib, a hurt left hand and a terrible left knee. It's not a wrestling match. He takes me down, and there's still work to do. I've wrestled since I was 14 and have a tremendous amount of pride in my wrestling."

In what former UFC champion Tito Ortiz has labelled as the biggest fight in half a decade, much of the build-up to the fight stems from the bad blood between the pair. But despite claims they used to be like brothers, Jones insists he was never friends with Evans.

"We first met in 2009, and I don't even remember when we started training together," Jones said. "We stopped by the beginning of 2011. I wouldn't even say we were ever friends.

"We went to dinner once, and probably trained with each other eight or nine times. It's really overblown. People are acting like he taught me to fight and that we had friendship bracelets. Some days he would get me. Some days I'd get him. We shared little psychological tips. At the time, he was the No. 2 contender and I wasn't even a contender."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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