UFC 145 Fight Card Final Predictions: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans

Sure, there are a handful of MMA fights on the card for UFC 145, but there's really only one that MMA fans are paying attention to: Jon Jones vs. Rashad Evans.

The two former teammates will finally lock horns inside the Octagon after months of back-and-forth about their friendship and training at Jackson's MMA. To quote the old selling line from Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz, “the friendship is over.”

Their path to UFC 145 has been well documented and well known amongst MMA fans. Today, we are concerned about who's going to come out on top. The obvious answer is Jones due to the nature of his victories.

Jones has walked through three former world champions and Ryan Bader en route to becoming the top dog at 205 pounds. Victories over these men would be great for any fighter's resume, but Jones hasn't just beaten them—he's beaten them down both mentally and physically.

Possessing freakish physical gifts to complement a well-rounded skill set, Jones has looked unstoppable thus far in his career.

One man who's not afraid of Jones is his former teammate, Evans. Training with Jones on a regular basis and being friends with the champ has humanized Jones for the challenger. Where other fighters simply froze in front of Jones, Evans has vowed not to simply stand in awe of the champion.

Not getting the credit he deserves is something Evans has been used to for his entire MMA career. This bout is just another example of people doubting Evans despite him having a real opportunity to pull out a win.

We've seen Evans display KO power with both his hands and his legs. If the KO doesn't present itself, we've seen Evans utilize his superior grappling to hold fighters against the cage or on the mat to thwart their offense.

The one talent Evans has that he will need to utilize effectively is his head movement. Evans must use it to not only evade Jones' strikes but also to set him up to get inside of Jones' reach. If Evans can maneuver inside, he can rip off some heavy punches, press Jones against the cage or transition for a takedown.

While I do give Evans a chance and would not be completely shocked if he were to win, I would like to think Jones and coach Greg Jackson have prepared for Evans' strategies. Jones has been pretty good sticking to game plans throughout his fights, and if he can keep Evans out of his head long enough to focus on Jackson's game plan, he should come out on top.

The fan in me wants to say Evans will win, but that will likely result from either a right hand or five rounds of grinding wrestling. I don't believe Evans can survive five rounds of Jones' striking, and fans should know better than to take a fighter based on a puncher's chance.

Look for Jones to feel Evans out early in the first round and begin to turn on the offense in the second. The champion will look to use his reach by way of jabs or kicks; kicks that could be going to Evans' head more often than not given the amount of times Evans reached to grab Phil Davis' leg kicks in their bout.

The future of the 205-pound division will be settled late Saturday night and debates will rage no matter what side you're on up until the actual fight. Let's see if Evans really does hold the key to the Jones riddle or if the champion has evolved past his former mentor and friend.