MMA: Greg Jackson Says Rashad Evans Said Jon Jones Could Join the Team

Maybe Rashad Evans is now to blame instead of Greg Jackson for allowing Jon Jones to join their camp. The Evans-Jackson split has become a classic case of he said-he said. Now, who's right in this situation?

Here is Jackson's case.

“Rashad can say maybe he was uncomfortable with it, but when I asked him if [Jones] could come on the team, he said yes,” Jackson said on Sherdog Radio Network’s “Beatdown” show. “Everybody said yes. There’s a ton of people I’ve turned away because [team members] have said, ‘I’m not really comfortable with that person. I don’t want you to do it.’ I’ve got a list of those guys too. They’re very good fighters, and I’m not going to name names that I’ve had to turn away for that very reason. Everybody was all right with [Jones], and now they’re not.”

Jackson made the point he wanted talent in his camp and that Evans is an example of a fighter that was ok'd by everyone in the camp to join. Jackson also doesn't know when the Evans-Jones split happened.

“I want talented people around talented people,” Jackson said. “Remember, these guys were really cool with each other until like a couple of weeks ago and then it all kind of went downhill because I guess Jon said something that hurt Rashad’s feelings and then it just kind of, I don’t know, it went out of control from there.”

Jones said before his fight with Evans that he would be okay with fighting his teammate and supposed "brother" if it came down to it.

"I respect [UFC president] Dana [White] a lot, and if that's what he absolutely wanted to happen, then I guess that's what would have to happen," Jones said in an interview during the UFC on Versus card. "Me and Rashad would not want to get fired over the situation."

But now recently Evans has left the Jackson camp, and has started referring to Jones as "Judas."

"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," Evans told Bloody Elbow's Duane Finley.

That's not all Evans has done. Like it was said in the beginning, Evans blames Jackson for allowing Jones into camp with them. Letting Jones in started the procedure of Evans leaving camp to pursue training elsewhere.

"You can't say you are not going to have anything to do with it when you are a big part of the reason why the situation originated," Evans said in an interview with Bloody Elbow. "That's like spilling a glass of milk and then walking away and saying that you don't want to have anything to do with it. You f--kn spilled the milk...so you're at least going to help clean it up right?"

Not only does this fight incorporate Jackson, Jones and Evans, it has brought in Evans' best friend and training partner, Keith Jardine.

"One thing to remember is Rashad is instrumental in this whole Jackson phenomenon starting," Jardine said to ESPN.com. "Without Rashad, who knows if it ever would have happened? He was one of the first guys to come in from out of town and join the team. And he was a guy who, when the sport was growing, he was winning fights and everybody was looking at him as he was getting better. People were calling Rashad up and he was bringing people to town, and without him, who knows if any of that would have ever happened? Without Rashad Evans, maybe this Jackson's phenomena never happens."

Jackson admitted that he didn't want Evans and Jones to fight each other, but said he wasn't going to tell them not to fight each other.

“If they choose to fight each other, it’s not like I’m their dad or I own them or anything like that,” Jackson said. “If they’re making those choices, of course I’m disappointed, but if it’s what everybody wants, then I’m just going to stay out of it.”

The Jackson-Evans-Jones soap opera has taken another turn for the worst and seems to be getting hot.