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Offer on the table for Rashad v Jones in October

Jon Jones is coming off his win over Shogun Rua © Getty Images

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For all the latest talking points from the Jon Jones v Rashad Evans affair, plus an interview with Rampage Jackson, don't miss the ESPN UFC Podcast

Jon Jones' manager has responded to Rashad Evans' claims that the UFC light-heavyweight champion is ducking him, by offering Evans a title showdown in October.

Jones and Evans had been set to square off before Jones announced he needed hand surgery, a situation he later took a U-turn on after a doctor told him he could rehab his hand without going under the knife. However, Evans is now locked into a fight with Phil Davis at UFC 133.

Evans has made it very clear that he believes Jones used his injury to avoid their fight, telling Pro MMA Radio: "There's no doubt in my mind Jon ducked me in this fight. Jon knows it and I know it. There's really no way around it. It's hard for me to imagine with Jon thinking he's so great and that he thinks he can beat me but it's just odd.

"When you don't take a fight with somebody for one reason or another, that's one thing, but to make up an injury, say you have an injury and you go as far as to say you'll have surgery and then you don't have it. That's clearly a sign that you don't want to fight somebody."

There are now fears that Jones will look past Evans, in order to fight Rampage Jackson or Lyoto Machida, but the champion's manager Malki Kawa insists Evans can fight Jones later this year, if he beats Davis.

"Jon's not ducking Rashad," Kawa told MMAjunkie. "Jon is willing to fight Rashad. Jon wants to fight Rashad. Jon has no reason to duck him.

"From the very get-go, we said we wanted to fight Rashad. But that always meant fighting in August. We can't do it in August. We always told the UFC it was going to be September or October before Jon would be ready. His hand was hurting, and he needed the time off. Even before he saw a single doctor, we told the UFC September or October would probably be best.

"The champ will be ready in September or October. That's only a month or two after Rashad's fight with Phil Davis. The champ wants to fight you. Jon hasn't done anything to duck this fight. The only reason people think that is because Rashad said so. Jon's not ducking anybody.

"If Rashad wants to do October and Dana White's OK with it, let's do it in October. We're ready to rock and roll."

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