While preparing for a fight, most athletes focus on the physical stuff—training, nutrition, rest. And yeah, those things are huge. But what often gets overlooked is the mental side of the game. Having a stable life outside the cage can make a massive difference in how a fighter shows up on fight night. Unfortunately for Rashad Evans, that wasn’t the case leading into one of the biggest fights of his career.
While the world watched him gear up to face a young and dangerous Jon Jones at UFC 145 in 2012, Evans was quietly battling personal demons behind the scenes.
The former light heavyweight champion was going through a divorce at the time—something that added a heavy emotional toll to an already brutal training camp. When you’re about to fight someone like Jones, that kind of weight can make an already steep hill even harder to climb.
In addition to the divorce, there was something else plaguing Evans as well.
Evans and Jones once shared a brotherly bond, training side by side at Jackson Wink MMA Academy. Evans, the seasoned veteran, took the young Jones under his wing, and together, they formed a formidable duo. However, their relationship took a sharp turn when Evans was sidelined by an injury, and Jones stepped in to fight for the light heavyweight title against Maurício “Shogun” Rua at UFC 128.
Jones’ subsequent victory and ascent to champion status led to tension, especially after the Rochester native expressed willingness to fight Evans if prompted by the UFC. Feeling betrayed, Evans left their shared gym, and the once-close teammates became rivals, culminating in a highly anticipated title bout at UFC 145.
While speaking to Mike Perry on an episode of his podcast, Evans detailed the emotional toll the events going on in his life took on him whilst preparing for the fight.
“It was during a time in my life where my life was in disarray. I was going through a divorce and I was going through so many transitions in my life and on top of it, this team that I felt like we’re a band of brothers, I was disconnected from”, he explained.
“It was a very hard thing for me in that respect, during the fight it was a hard fight as well. I was not able to divorce myself from the emotions”, the MMA legend added.
While it is true that Evans came up short, their fight made for an all-time classic encounter that is widely considered the beginning of the chatter about Jones becoming one of the greatest of all time.
A closer look at how Jones vs Evans played out
After months of emotional turmoil, the pair finally faced off on April 21, 2012, at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.
The bout was marked by Jones’ strategic use of his significant reach advantage, effectively keeping Evans at bay with a variety of strikes, including jabs, kicks, and elbows.
In the second round, Jones delivered a series of standing elbows that visibly stunned Evans, a testament to his unorthodox striking arsenal. Despite Evans’ attempts to counter and utilize his wrestling background, he struggled to penetrate Jones’ defense or secure any takedowns.
Jones maintained control throughout the five rounds, dictating the pace and distance of the fight. Neither fighter could finish the other but Jones thoroughly dominated the proceedings.
The judges scored the bout unanimously in favor of the Rochester native, with tallies of 50-45, 49-46, and 49-46.
