TORONTO – If light-heavyweight champion Jon (Bones) Jones does end up meeting the winner of the UFC 133 main event between former title-holders Rashad Evans and Tito (The Huntington Beach Bad Boy) Ortiz, he’ll know what to expect.
In one corner, much love. In the other, a snarl.
“I don’t like Jon Jones,” a clipped Evans said Thursday. “I’ll just leave it at that.”
Ortiz offered a different take on the 24-year-old phenom who currently rules the 305-pound division.
“Jon Jones, I think he’s an amazing champion. He’s great,” said Ortiz. “I hung out with him once in Vegas for the UFC summit and he’s a cool cat.
“As a competitor, he’s fast, punches awkward, great wrestling ability, he’s a big threat. That’s why he’s the world champion. And I have some work cut out for me. And I’m very excited and challenged to do that.
“But before anything I’ve got to fight Rashad. I mean Rashad’s the No. 1 contender, man. This is his time to shine. All the pressure’s on him. It’s his time to shine. He’s supposed to beat Tito Ortiz. I’m here to show why I’m still here, man. And I’ve been here since 1997. I ain’t going anywhere anytime soon.”
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Ortiz’s response seemed to draw praise from Jones later in the day.
“Good job @titoortiz, one of the many reasons your an all time great #muchrespect.” the champion tweeted.
Evans and Ortiz meet Aug. 6 at Philadelphia’s Well Fargo Center.
Jones, meanwhile, is preparing to face Quinton (Rampage) Jackson, another former 205-pound champion, at UFC 135 in Denver on Sept. 24.
Evans (20-1-1) was initially slated to fight Jones (13-1) but the young champion was sidelined with a hand injury. Phil (Mr. Wonderful Davis) was then pressed into action but he too had to withdraw due to injury.
The 36-year-old Ortiz (17-8-1) saved the day when he agreed to fill the main event void, on short notice after reviving a fighting career on life support with an upset win over Ryan (Darth) Bader at UFC 132 on July 2.
Evans and Jones have history. In short, it’s complicated.
Both trained at Greg Jackson’s renowned gym in Albuquerque, N.M. But things turned sour after Evans had to pull out of his UFC 128 main event in March against then-champion Mauricio (Shogun) Rua.
Jones stepped in and beat Rua, becoming the UFC’s youngest ever champion – and irking Evans who evidently saw a teammate jump the queue for his title shot.
Evans left Jackson’s gym and now has his own fight team training out of Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Fla.
Asked if he could ever see himself going back to Jackson’s gym, Evans didn’t mince words.
“Honestly there’s really no reason for me to go back,” he told a media conference call. “I think I’ve found training elsewhere’s that’s better.
“It’s nothing against Greg and those guys, I love those guys at Jackson’s but at the same time if you find training that’s better elsewhere then why go backwards?”
The 31-year-old Evans- whose recent career has been derailed by injuries, both to himself and possible opponents – has not fought since May 2010 when he won a unanimous decision over Jackson at UFC 114.
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