Bloody Elbow's Duane Finley caught up with Rashad Evans the day after UFC 128, where Jon Jones crushed Mauricio Rua for the light heavyweight tile. Evans was announced as Jones' first challenger during the post-fight interview. The two were training partners at Greg Jackson's camp in Albuquerque, New Mexico, but that didn't stop Jon Jones from saying he'd fight Rashad Evans if UFC president Dana White asked him to. Evans feels betrayed, to say the least:
"I mean it's one thing to say something in an interview but the least you could have picked up the phone and been like, "man I did an interview today and they kind of put me on the spot with a rough question and I answered it this way." At least give me the heads up so that way I know and not look at it if he's Judas or something. You know who Judas is? That interview was some backstabbing s**t but now it's like whatever because now I know the game he is playing. Then for Greg to sit back and say he doesn't want to have anything to do with it....why not? You f**kn created the situation. Be his coach and be in his corner. That's what you want so do it. I don't care if coaches against me. It doesn't even matter."
Now this is high level smack talk. It comes across as legitimate dislike, and it very well may be, but Evans has been in the game long enough to know what sells fights, and he's selling. Evans use of Judas Iscariot to paint Jones as an untrustworthy betrayer isn't just good because Judas is an epic term for one who would do such a thing, but Judas was the one who betrayed Jesus Christ, which led to the crucifixion. If by now you haven't figured out that Jon Jones is a very open Christian, then you may just be living under a rock. Likening Jones to the man who betrayed the figurehead of his religion is high level stuff, classy or not. I don't think Evans put that much thought into the usage, but it certainly read like a well placed prod at Jones.