‘A Continuation of The Legacy’- Rashad Evans Expecting Big Things From Jon Jones

Published 07/05/2021, 11:36 PM EDT

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans believes it won’t be that tough for Jon Jones to rule the heavyweight roster. Jones, who is currently at loggerheads with the promotion, is yet to make his much-anticipated debut following his move to the division.

Rashad knows a thing or two about Jones. After all, they have trained and fought with each other. In a recent interview, the UFC Hall of Famer had words of praise for ‘Bones’.

“Jon moving up, it’s going to be a continuation of the legacy of Jon Jones. Jon Jones is a phenomenal athlete. He’s a phenomenal fighter and his IQ inside the octagon, it can’t be surpassed by anybody,” he said.

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“So I expect him to carry that to the heavyweight division,” he added.

Evans believes he might face some problems given the heavyweight fighters are huge and hit harder. But he also believes Jones can make adjustments to anything.

Evans then talked about Jones’s potential fight with Francis Ngannou. He detailed the difficulties that Jones could face against a guy like Ngannou.

“The fight with Francis, that is one, that is a very intriguing fight because he’s going against a guy that takes away some of the advantages that he’s been able to enjoy for so long.”

“Being able to have a long reach, being able to be a stronger fighter and all those different aspects that he’s been able to bring to the table.”

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He claims it won’t be that difficult for Jones to make adjustments required to face ‘The Predator.’

Rashad Evans weighs in on Ngannou’s growth

Ngannou has been phenomenal in the last couple of years. Such has been his dominance that he hasn’t broken a sweat in his last few matches including the title victory over Stipe Miocic at UFC 260.

Evans also thinks that ‘The Predator’ has grown over the years. “His mindset has been absolutely amazing when it comes to just growing and rounding out the part of his game that wasn’t so good before, which is grappling and even understanding how to control his power.”

Evans then talked about how confident ‘The Predator’ has become as he seeks Jones next. “He’s seeking that fight out, so that’s a man who’s a very confident man.”

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Jones fighting Ngannou is a sight to behold for the fans. But the matchup is still far from happening. It remains to be seen who will Jones fight first in the heavyweights.

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Akshyay Mahapatra is a UFC author for EssentiallySports. He wished to combine his passion for the UFC (that he has been following since 2008) as well as his love for writing. This motivated him to enter the world of combat sports journalism.

‘A Continuation of The Legacy’- Rashad Evans Expecting Big Things From Jon Jones

Rashad Evans weighs in on Ngannou’s growth

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