UFC Primetime returns to the airwaves Friday night, building anticipation for one of the sport’s most anticipated grudge matches in UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Jon Jones vs. No. 1 contender Rashad Evans.
Debuting after The Ultimate Fighter Live on FX, the three-part series will kick off the road to Evans vs. Jones at UFC 145, a fight that has been more than a year in the making. Former teammates at Greg Jackson’s training center, both men had said they would never fight each other but that changed when Jones got a title shot against then-champion Mauricio Rua.
In an interview, Jones said he would fight Evans if he had to, setting off a chain of events that saw Evans leave the Jackson camp, verbal sparring and ultimately a long wait for the actual bout to happen.
This will be the second run for Primetime this year as Nick Diaz and Carlos Condit were the focus of the seventh version of the series. Jones has never been on the show, while this is Evans’ second appearance after his fight with Quinton Jackson was featured in the third installment.
The show debuts at 11 PM EST and the live discussion will be open. Watch on FX and comment below on what you think.