Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, perhaps above anyone else, is the one guy in mixed martial arts (MMA) who can point at Jon Jones -- stripped of his title and suspended from the promotion -- and say, See? I told you so!
But he won't.
Probably because Evans, despite their personal history, has the ability to separate the combat sports business from the human being business. To that end, "Suga" is hoping that "Bones" can slay whatever demons pursue him en route to finishing his career on a high note.
Evans talks to FOX Sports:
"It's kind of a sad situation for me, honestly. My heart really goes out to Jon because despite us having our beefs and everything, I care about Jon as a person. I don't wish the hardships that he's going through on anybody. You look at someone like that person has it all, but then you don't really know what their internal struggles are like. For me, I'm sad for him because he's the champion of the world, he has loads of money and a great family behind him that supports him, but what's the thing that's missing? That's the hard thing to see from the outside looking in because from the outside it looks like he has it all but on the inside that's obviously not the case. He's one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever had. For him to go out in a less than admirable way is not something that I would like to see for him."
Sounds like Don Frye could learn a few things from Evans.
Jones is due back in court on Tuesday (Sept. 29, 2015) to answer for charges of felony hit-and-run. "Bones" is expected to cut a deal with prosecutors and with any luck, could get back to the hurt business by 2016. If so, don't be surprised to see another photo like this.
And perhaps this.