Evans Won’t Fight Johnson, Doesn’t Want To Make The Same Mistake As With Jones

Former UFC champion Rashad Evans doesn’t want to make the same mistake twice, and so he wont fight teammate Anthony Johnson. Rashad spoke about a return to the Octagon in early 2015 after recovering from ACL surgery.

He spoke with Ariel Helwani:

“The knee is coming along pretty well. I just didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I’m trying to come back too soon and then injure it more. So I am really taking my time with therapy and taking some down time just to allow my mind not to push my body too far past its limits right now. I want to return in February. That’s me giving myself enough time to make sure that I feel comfortable getting back in there. I know when I get back in there, it’s nothing but tough guys in my way, so I know I’m going to have a tough road ahead, so I am going to be ready for that.”

Evans doesn’t have his sights set on anyone in particular however:

“Nah, I was thinking like that before, I was like, ‘I would be fun to fight Glover or whoever, but honestly speaking, the way things are shaking up in the weight class, whoever I fight it’s going to be an interesting match up. I have a lot to prove coming back from the injury and trying to make that push for the title. Whoever they have up there, and whoever is ready for me. Whoever they put me up against, I’m ready for whatever.”

However Evans made it very clear he won’t fight his Blackzilian teammate Anthony ‘Rumble’ Johnson.

“We fight all the time, man. We fight more than the UFC could pay us. We fight everyday, we are each others number one training partners. Would I fight him professionally? No, I wouldn’t fight him. I see no need to fight him, man. We feed each other in a lot of different ways, I can’t. I know people will be like, Oh, my God, we’ve heard this before. It may be happening again.’ But I believe with the relationship Anthony and I have, that bridge is a bridge that if it ever needs crossing, we will find a different way to handle it, than it did the first time (with Jon Jones).”