Jon Jones vs Rashad Evans

Lore & Background

Jones and Evans were former teammates at Greg Jackson's gym, but their relationship soured after Jones received a title shot ahead of Evans. The fight was highly anticipated due to their personal rivalry. Jones dominated the bout with his reach and striking, winning all five rounds on all three judges' scorecards.

In Their Own Story

The T-Mobile Arena hummed with a low, electric tension. The crowd had been fed a narrative all week—big man, small man, a heavyweight who might finally be too small for the division. Then the bell rang and the story dissolved in ninety seconds. Jones didn't rush. He let Evans probe, let the reach do its work, let the big man think he was in control. One feint, one angle change, and suddenly Evans' head was trapped in a vice of forearms. The guillotine tightened like a steel cable. Evans' eyes widened, his long arms flailed, his boots scrambled on the canvas. The crowd noise shifted from anticipation to a stunned, breathless roar. Evans tapped. Jones released the hold, stood, and raised his arms as if he had merely completed a warm-up. In the walk-out, Evans sat on the cage apron, head bowed, jaw set. Jones, still in his shorts, looked back at the camera with an expression that was almost apologetic—as if to say, *I'm sorry it had to end this fast.* The arena, which had come to see a war, had witnessed a coronation.

Reader's Guide

Jones used his superior reach to keep Evans at distance, landing jabs and kicks. He also secured takedowns and controlled the ground game. Evans struggled to close the distance and was unable to mount significant offense.

Did You Know?

• Jones was the reigning UFC Light Heavyweight Champion at the time of this fight.
• This was Jones's second title defense.
• Evans had previously been the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion in 2008.