5 Biggest public disputes between MMA fighters and their training camps
The sport of MMA often witnesses some of the most volatile personalities in the martial arts community come together so as to partake in the savage science.
Now, although respect for one another is an integral part of the sport, when one is to consider the clash of egos as well as the myriad of testosterone-fueled personalities who happen to be involved in the MMA realm, highly-publicized feuds transpiring outside the cage, mustn't come as a surprise.
While the fighters more often than not choose to engage in a considerable amount of trash-talk against their opponent as well as said opponent's team, public fallouts with one's own fight camp aren't exactly unheard of either.
Over the years, longtime loyalists of a given gym have eventually grown apart from their coaching faculty or vice versa--leading to what at times could be a less-than-desirable dispute which witnesses both parties air their proverbial dirty laundry in public.
Today, we take a look at some of the biggest public fallouts on MMA history. These are instances of notable MMA fighters accusing their gyms and coaches and vice versa...
#5 Rashad Evans and the Jackson Wink MMA Academy
Perhaps one of the most well-known fallouts in Mixed Martial Arts history, the story of "Suga" Rashad Evans parting ways with the Jackson Wink MMA Academy served as yet another example of how despite training as part of a fight team, at the end of the day, this is indeed an individual sport. Evans was all set to receive a shot at then-UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 128.
Nevertheless, Evans happened to suffer a knee injury, and the former UFC Light-Heavyweight titlist was eventually replaced by his Jackson Wink team-mate Jon "Bones" Jones in the UFC 128 title fight against the Shogun Rua.
Jones went on to dominate and defeat Rua by way of TKO--successfully earning the right to be called the youngest UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion in promotional history.
Evans would eventually be booked to face Jones for the latter's UFC 205-pound title--something that was being discussed well before UFC 128, given that many felt Jones could possibly take the belt off the much-smaller Rua.
In light of his training for the fight against Jones, Evans bid adieu to the Jackson Wink MMA Academy, and went on to train at Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Florida--a training camp which eventually turned into the Blackzillians gym.
Furthermore, while Evans would eventually lose a 5-round decision to Jones, the former engaged in a highly-publicized war of words not only with Jones but also with his former team at Jackson Wink. "Suga" publicly accused the powers-that-be at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy of engaging in favoritism with the younger fighter Jones, over him.