Rashad Evans talks about his fight with Ryan Bader, friend Daniel Cormier’s obsession with Jon Jones

Rashad Evans knows exactly what it’s like to come up on the losing end of an emotionally charged feud with Jon Jones.

In 2011, he and Jones had a massive falling out after an injured Evans was replaced by Jones to face then-light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. After Jones won the title, Evans decided to depart Jackson’s MMA, where he was a teammate of Jones’, to start the Blackzilians and a bitter war of words ensued. Unfortunately for Evans, he was unable to pry the title from Jones at UFC 145 in April 2012.

As Evans discussed his return to face Ryan Bader at UFC 192, he also talked about Jones, the legal troubles that culminated with his former teammate being stripped of the light heavyweight title, and Jones’ heated feud with Daniel Cormier.

“It’s kind of hard,” Evans said about watching Jones’ fall from grace. “I would like to believe that if I was there and we built up our relationship stronger that I would have been able to pull his coat when I saw him going down the wrong path.”

However, Evans, a former champion himself, isn’t quite sure that Jones would have listened to him. After all, Jones was riding high as the youngest fighter to ever win a UFC title and was anointed the best pound-for-pound fighter in mixed martial arts.

“It’s like when your parents tell you what to do, but it’s not until you go through it yourself that you see why they said what they said,” Evans said. “Sometimes you just have to go through things in life to become a better person. He had to go through this and hopefully he becomes a better person because of it.”

Evans is embroiled in his own feud with Bader, which culminates this weekend as Evans returns to the Octagon for the first time after injuries plagued the last two years of his career. Although he hasn’t fought since rolling over Chael Sonnen in November 2013, he said he has sharpened his skills through coaching and working as an analyst.

“It was really difficult being away from MMA because it’s been a way of life for me for 13 years,” Evans said. “But being on the outside and coaching helps you sharpen your skills because you have to explain what you do, why things work and why other things don’t.”

Bader, who has become increasingly boisterous in his interviews, has engaged in trash talking with Evans and went so far as to post a photo of Evans tipping the scale at 260 pounds in an effort to shame him.

“It’s not a good idea because he isn’t built for this,” Evans said, calling Bader’s newfound bark a desperate attempt at becoming relevant. “You can say what you want to say, but at some point you have to back it up and I don’t think he has that kind of confidence to do so.”

Evans pointed out that Bader often “turtles up” when getting hit and mentally checks out when things aren’t going his way.

“He quits,” Evans said. “The minute he takes a hard shot he doesn’t want to be there anymore and looks for a way out. I’m not like that. The only way I’m going out is unconscious. I’m not a quitter.”

Although the 36-year-old is hoping a victory over Bader will jumpstart another run at the 205-pound title held by Cormier, the one thing he isn’t obsessed with, unlike Cormier, is a rematch with Jones. Evans said he is concerned with the amount of time Cormier spends talking about Jones and says it could be his downfall.

“I think he’s making a mistake by consuming himself with Jon Jones,” Evans said, adding that focusing on one opponent can stunt the ability for a fighter to grow and learn. “D.C. is putting so much on beating Jones, but if he goes out there and loses? Oh my goodness. His career might be over.”

Cormier has often blamed the media for tying the two together, but Evans feels differently about how the champion has handled himself.

“He’s either like, ‘I hate talking about Jones all the time,’ but then he’s the one always talking about Jones,” Evans said. “You can’t have it both ways. I think he should focus on being the best champion he can be and worry about Jones if and when he comes back to fight him.”