"It's a tough fight for Vitor, but I believe Vitor has all the tools and is more than capable of getting the job done...I'm hoping to get in there in December. I'm not all the way sure yet that that's gonna happen 100%, but if they want me to fight in December and it's a fight that makes sense, I'm going to do it. I was hoping to get to 185, but it's just like I would be right where I am already, so it's like why cut to 185 when I'm already there at 205 as far as positioning. But on the other hand, Anderson Silva is one of my favorite fighters and an opportunity to fight him would mean the world to me," stated former UFC light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans, who talked about his own future plans as he helps Vitor Belfort prepare for his upcoming clash with current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Check out what else he had to say!

PC: It's been awhile, man. How have you been?

RE: I've been good, man; been in South Florida training a little bit. I was doing the TV stuff, but I got a little time off now that I'm working with Vitor Belfort.

PC: Vitor is facing Jon Jones on about a month notice, which is no easy task with a full training camp. How is he looking in the gym?

RE: Honestly, I have always been a big Vitor fan and seeing the way he's been training, and I think having the time off from the hand injury has helped him come back better than I have ever seen him before. He's still explosive, still fast, and he's more confident than anything because he got to work on a lot of technique while he couldn't do anything with that hurt hand.

PC: It has to help that he is working with a guy who just got out of the cage with Jones. Although you and Vitor are different stylistically, are you able to show him things that you felt you weren't able to implement in your fight with Jones?

RE: I mean, you know, I'm able to show him things that I felt was open during the fight, but Jon is a crafty guy and once you think you have him figured out, he will do something that will throw you off all over again. It's just making adjustments and trying to anticipate where he might try to make adjustments. It's a tough fight for Vitor, but I believe Vitor has all the tools and is more than capable of getting the job done.

PC: We texted a little right after the Jones fight and you were taking the loss pretty hard. How did you eventually get through that and cope with that loss, because a lot was at stake for you during that fight with the storyline and all?

RE: It's part of the game, you know, and that's one thing that I told myself fight day is that no matter what happens, I won't crucify myself if it doesn't go my way. On the real side, I was very disappointed and stuff like that, but I got a chance to go and compete and come out healthy enough to be able to do it again, and that's a plus and the silver lining in the clouds. But it was a hard fight, mostly just dealing with everything that went into it. We had the whole backstory, and that's the stuff that drains you more than anything. So having that out of the way, I took some time away from everything to mostly be depressed.

PC: It's been kind of quiet as far as your next move. There were some talks of you going to 185 and that kind of died down. When can we expect you back in the cage?

RE: I'm hoping to get in there in December. I'm not all the way sure yet that that's gonna happen 100%, but if they want me to fight in December and it's a fight that makes sense, I'm going to do it. I was hoping to get to 185, but it's just like I would be right where I am already, so it's like why cut to 185 when I'm already there at 205 as far as positioning. But on the other hand, Anderson Silva is one of my favorite fighters and an opportunity to fight him would mean the world to me. If I had a chance to fight him, that would be something I would do, but if I gotta fight my way up through the ranks just to fight Anderson, then I'm already there at 205. I'm already in that position at my own division.

PC: That makes all the sense in the world. And hypothetically speaking, what would a cut to 185 be like for Rashad Evans?

RE: It would be hard because I walk around at 230. And the funny thing is when you look at me, you don't think that I weigh that much, but I'm definitely that heavy. I carry a lot of weight in my legs, so to cut down to 185 would cut into what my strong suit is which is my legs and I don't know what kind of fighter I would be at 185. I don't want to be one of those guys that changes weight classes and it doesn't turn out so well; and then where do I go from there, you know?

PC: You were under the microscope at one point in your career for not accepting a fight or not taking a change of opponent on short notice, and nowÂ…actually, now that I think about it, it's funny how you and Jon's career have so many similarities. But now he is in that position. What do you make of that situation with Jon?

RE: Yeah! Well I mean, you know, with himÂ…the situation with me when I didn't accept the fight, it wasn't going to make or break the card, you know what I'm saying? If they would have said, "Rashad, if you don't accept this fight, we are gonna have to cancel this card. Plus on top of that, we are gonna give you a half a million dollars or $300,000," or whatever the case was with him on top of my regular purse just to do it, then there would be no question in my mind that I would have took any fight that they threw at me. But with the situation with himÂ…that'sÂ…you know, in one aspect, you say, that's great that he did that because as a fighter being able toÂ…a fighter having the right to be able to say no, as a fighter, really the only strength that we have or the only say so that we have is to be able to say yes or no, so on that aspect, it's like, okay, cool. But on the other aspect, you say, okay, I understand you want to stand up for your rights as a fighter and be able to say yes or no, because it's very important that we have that right, but here is the other side to it that really, really sucks. He turned his back on an organization who pretty much made his career; they made him the face of the UFC. They sponsored him, they were there for him when he got in trouble with the DUI, they bought him a Bentley, and all of those things, and helped him get the Nike deal. So you take the organization who made you who you are and they ask you for a favor and you say no? That's not cool, and not only that, you screwed a lot of other fighters out of their money. He caused the UFC probably about $20 million and he cost a lot of fighters a lot of money and he cost fans a lot of money, so that's the part that sucks about the whole thing.

PC: Have you spoke to Jon Jones since your fight with him?

RE: I seen him out and about when I was out in Vegas and I gave him a hug and said what's up to him. I embraced him and said wassup and that's about it. I was checking on him to see how he was doing. A fight's a fight and we got it out of the way and he was the better man that night and that's where I will leave it at. I don't wish anything bad on him in the future or anything that he has going on. I want him to be successful. I want him to do all of the things in the world that he thinks he can do; that's great. A lot of people were like, "Are you happy that you can say I told you so when he got his DUI?" No, I don't want to say I told you so about something like that. I don't want to say I told you so to someone doing something that could damage their life. That's notÂ…I hope he could have just been like a liar, but the situation he was in, that's not something you want to wish on anybody. You don't want to wish bad on anybody because when you start wishing bad on people, that's when things stop working out for you. You are blocking the blessings you got coming in because you start focusing on the negative things for other people.

PC: You sound like my mom. Rashad preaching to them (laughing), but you are 100% right, and knowing you as a person, I know you wouldn't wish anything on him like that. You mentioned the TV stuff; you are looking comfortable behind the microphone. Obviously your career is far from over, but is that something you could see yourself doing in the future?

RE: Yeah, it's something that I love a lot, man. It's something that I want to do more often. It's something I feel like it's a way I can grow old with the sport, because you're always a few fights from not being able to fight at all. I understand the fertility of a fighting career, so being able to have an opportunity to be around the sport I love and just to be a part of this great sport that's gonna take over the world is an honor for me. And to do that is something I always dream of just by watching the NFL and seeing their retired players do it. So just to have the opportunity to do it is amazing.

PC: Your man Tyrone Spong will be making his MMA debut here soon. How is it to work with someone and watch them transition from kickboxing to MMA?

RE: You know, it's been pretty good. Tyrone is one of those guys who is very competitive. When he goes in there, he's not looking to just be okay and good enough to get by; he's looking to try and beat me (laughing). He even gets a little cocky with it too, you know. "Look, I caught your leg, nigga. I could take you down" (in his Tyrone Spong voice). He gets real hyped up about it. I think Tyrone is a special individual with his ability because his learning curve is so fast. The kid learns so fast and it's faster than I have seen anybody learn. Jon Jones had a real high learning curve when I seen him coming up and Tyrone's is on that level as far as how fast he learns shit.

PC: I appreciate the time. I can't wait to see you back competing. Is there anything you want to say before I let you go?

RE: I just like to thank everybody at Authentic Sports Management and my manager, Glen Robinson, for making it happen and holding it down for us and doing his thing. Shout out to all of my Blackzillian brothers who helped me become what I am and help the team keep rising to the top.