Could the Mayan calendar really be correct? Could Jesus really be on the verge of reresurrection? Could we really be on the verge of apocalypse? I don’t know, but I do know the once peaceful and content Jackson’s MMA family is now experiencing conflict and drama akin to to the biblical rivalry between Cain and Abel. Since I’m comparing the two I guess in this scenario that would make Greg Jackson the father aka God. (Please don’t go getting your boxer briefs all in a wad, it’s just a metaphorical and fictional comparison-I’m not saying Greg Jackson is God, everyone already knows only the winners of Moosin are in the running for Godability.)
Chuck Mindenhall over at ESPN Mixed Martial Arts talked a bit about this sort of familial sibling rivalry that has caused Rashad to split from the Jackson’s MMA camp to Keith Jardine this week and here’s what Keith had to say about his loyalty to Rashad and the state of the Jackson MMA camp.
“One thing to remember is Rashad is instrumental in this whole Jackson phenomenon starting,” Jardine said. “Without Rashad, who knows if it ever would have happened? He was one of the first guys to come in from out of town and join the team. And he was a guy who, when the sport was growing, he was winning fights and everybody was looking at him as he was getting better. People were calling Rashad up and he was bringing people to town, and without him, who knows if any of that would have ever happened? Without Rashad Evans, maybe this Jackson’s phenomena never happens.”
“You know, I haven’t thought about it too much, but no question I would be supporting Rashad,” Jardine said. “He’s one of my closest friends in the world. I have a lot of loyalty and friendship with him.”
“It’ll never be the same, you know? This gym, when the UFC broke out in 2005, was built on me, Rashad, Nate Marquardt, Joey Villasenor and Diego Sanchez…It all started from that interview that Jon did talking about the possibility of fighting with Rashad [with Ariel Helwani on Versus:],” Jardine said. “That’s just something that doesn’t need to be said. Of course they could have been made to fight, and they both knew it. But for Jon to go out and say that made Rashad look like a punk, and that’s kind of what happened to start it all. It was already sensitive, so it blew up after that.”
This makes Rashad Evans and Jon Jones sort of like the brothers Cain and Abel. Cain dislikes Abel’s new apparent favor of Abel and ends up murdering him and then is banished to wander the earth alone forever. Such a tragic story of sibling rivalry that forces the rest of the family to often times take sides and proclaim their loyalties. [source]