UFC 145: 5 Reasons You Must Watch Jones vs. Evans

A rivalry concludes next month, as UFC champion Jon Jones meets ex-training partner Rashad Evans in Atlanta, Georgia. Although the title will be defended, both of these men are also fighting for pride.

UFC 145 will solve a long-standing feud between the two former friends. Both men used to train with world renowned trainer Greg Jackson at his gym in New Mexico. That was the case, until Rashad Evans dropped out of a title fight with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua due to injury, creating an opportunity for Jones.

Jones won the title and the rest is history. Words have been exchanged and both have made their beef known with one another.

It is time to settle this beef at UFC 145. This event will show us who the better man is.

The Entire Card Is Solid

Although everybody is looking forward to Jon Jones and Rashad Evans settling their differences, there are a number of other fights on the card that are intriguing. 

The co-main event of the evening sees two rising prospects in Rory MacDonald and Che Mills battle to continue to move up the welterweight ladder. MacDonald has been utterly dominant in his time with the UFC, while Mills has made noise with his quick knockout win in his UFC debut back in October.

Meanwhile, a number of other fan favorites grace this card. Brendan Schaub, Mark Hominick, Miguel Torres, Michael McDonald, Travis Browne, Chad Griggs, Anthony Njokuani and John Makdessi all make appearances throughout the card, making it truly a must-watch event.

If you are not interested in this card, from top to bottom, I don't think you have a pulse.

Can Rashad Evans Figure out the Puzzle That Is Jones?

To this point in the UFC, nobody has been able to figure out Jon Jones. This closest thing we saw to that was Lyoto Machida bull rushing and landing a couple punches on Jones, but we all remember what happened with that fight.

The advantage Rashad Evans has over all other fighters who have fought Jones in the past, is that he used to be his training partner. He is used to fighting Jones. He knows Jones's moves, his possible weaknesses and what strengths he himself can play to.

If you thought at any point in the Jones-Machida fight that he was in trouble, wait until this fight. You may actually see the champ in trouble.

The Beef Is Real

This is not a show. This is not two men hyping a fight up. This is legitimately two men disliking each other and not being afraid to express it.

Rashad Evans was so disgusted that Jon Jones stepped over him to get the title, that he up and left long time trainer Greg Jackson and his camp. This is the same camp that he had been training at for a majority of his career, including when he won the UFC championship.

While Evans now trains with the Blackzilians in Florida, Jones is still with the aforementioned Jackson. Jackson is in a weird spot, as he still considers Evans a friend and does not want to corner against him.

The trash talk leading up to this fight has been plentiful, but the beef will be settled when the cage door closes.

Rashad Evans Has Rejuvenated His Game

Leaving Greg Jackson's camp in New Mexico may have been the best thing Rashad Evans has done in his career. Since moving to Florida to train with the Blackzilians, Evans has looked like a new fighter.

He has had two fights since moving to his new camp, in which he boasts dominant wins over Tito Ortiz and Phil Davis. 

His win over Tito Ortiz saw him batter the ex-champion for two rounds, before landing a precise, vicious knee to the body. He then finished Ortiz with punches to claim victory.

His most recent victory over Phil Davis showed us how rounded out his game is. He used superior striking and wrestling ability to get a unanimous nod over the regarded prospect.

This move to Florida has really rejuvenated his game, which could be the key to beating Jon Jones.

Champion vs. Ex-Champion

The current champion, Jon Jones, takes on the former champion, Rashad Evans. Although this is not the first time Jones has taken on the former champion (Rampage Jackson, Lyoto Machida), the concept is still awesome.

Rashad Evans won the title from Forrest Griffin in December of 2008, before dropping it in mid-May of the next year to Machida. He has stayed in the title hunt since then, though injuries have continually delayed his shot at getting the belt back.

Meanwhile, Jon Jones has been a dominant champion during his reign. He has already defended twice since winning the title in March of last year. He submitted the legendary Rampage Jackson for the first time in over a decade, while also being the first man to submit Lyoto Machida.

Will we have a new champion in Evans, or will Jon Jones continue to cruise through the division at the young age of 24? We will find out next month!