http://mmajunkie.com/news/22882/ufc-...ast-shogun.mma

UFC boss says Evans up next; former champ, Jones refuse to look past "Shogun"

With a shocking amount of MMA fans and pundits treating this weekend's UFC 128 main event as a foregone conclusion, all anyone seems to ask is, "What's next for Jon Jones?"

On this week's new edition of ESPN's "MMA Live," UFC president Dana White confirmed a win for Jones (12-1 MMA, 6-1 UFC) could very well earn him a bout with his teammate, Rashad Evans (15-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC).

However, both Jones and Evans, who each appeared on the show, said all the talk of training camp switches and teammate vs. teammate philosophy is entirely premature.

"Well, we've got to see what happens here," White said when asked by "MMA Live" host Jon Anik if Evans was guaranteed the next shot at the title. "We've got to see who comes out of this fight, whether they come out unscathed. If the guys are ready to roll again with no injuries, yeah, Rashad is definitely next in line."

Evans, of course, was recently at the front of the line. The former light heavyweight champion was supposed to headline this weekend's event before a knee injury forced him to withdraw from the card. In his place stepped Jones, who now challenges Mauricio "Shogun" Rua for the UFC's light heavyweight title.

Immediately following the announcement of the switch, questions surrounded Evans. Was he upset that his teammate was taking his opportunity? Would he fight Jones, a man he had long insisted he would never face in the cage? Did he feel disrespected?

Jones, of course, has faced many of the same inquiries, and he insisted he hasn't even begun to consider a possible matchup with his friend.

"Nowadays, with all this media, I realize that everyone likes to twist the words that come out of my mouth, and same with you," Jones said to Evans. "People have twisted words that come out of your mouth and try to get us to want to kill each other. So, I try not to focus on a fight with you too much and just focus on the task at hand.

"'Shogun' is a big, big opponent, and looking past him would be extremely ignorant on my part. There's a quote that I've heard recently, and I love it. It says, 'Looking past an opponent is equivalent to staring at second base when a fastball is coming right at you.' My eye is on the fastball – that fastball being Maurcio 'Shogun' Rua. When the time comes to worry about the next opponent, that's exactly what I'll do."

When asked later in the show for his reaction to White's suggestion he may be next in line, Evans was similarly noncommittal.

"I feel like Jon just needs to focus on his fight at hand," Evans said. "Me and Jon talked beforehand, and we talked about this whole situation, but I think that Jon just needs to focus on 'Shogun,' and whatever is going to happen between me and him is going to happen."

 

VLOG TIME!!! FIGHT WEEK BLOG WEEK!!!

YouTube - Dana White UFC 128 Video Blog - Day 2

 

How does Liddell sit there and say he hasn't seen Jones fight? He is not a UFC executive. I'm thinking that at the end of the day, Chuck might not be the sharpest marble in the bag.

 

True...i had to double back there on that statement...i was like JUICE??? wtf...lol isnt that part of your EASY job!

 

look what i picked up!!!

 

Haha ya chucks brain is fried...

Cant wait for fight night!!!

 

Wow...wasn't expecting that kind of an outcome in the main event...all fights were great tonight!

 

Yea, it was pretty much total domination.

 

Damn, Bones Jones made it look easy! Shogun was a friggin champion..

Now I wait for Jones vs Silva!!!

 

SILVE vs JONES...is deff gonna happe...its just gotta...makes WAY more sense the GSP vs Silva imo...

btw Rashad Evans has left Greg Jackson camp...dun dun dunn funked up!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AVHb...&feature=feedu