The main event for Saturday’s UFC 145 is strangely appetizing.

On one hand, you have two former friends becoming bitter enemies, and on the other, you have two fighters that stylistically match up well.

So why does every time these fighters get in the ring or take part in an interview with each other feel unbelievably awkward?

Perhaps it has to do with the realism that involves the Jon Jones and Rashad Evans relationship. It is unlike anything we have ever seen in the UFC. Unlike previous rivalries where both fighters hype the fight with their smooth talking and outrageous comments, both of these guys would rather not say a word going into the fight.

It’s almost as if Jones and Evans are ready to get this fight behind them so they can move on with their lives, and that was easily seen in the UFC 145 conference call last Friday.

“I’ve been talking about it for more than a year. I just want to fight already,” Evans said.

The rivalry dates back to when both fighters trained together at Jackson’s MMA under Greg Jackson. Jackson coached Evans for years, and Jackson came to him about adding Jones to the team.

Evans was reluctant to bring him in at first because he knew Jones was going to be a contender at light heavyweight, but Jackson eventually talked him into welcoming Jones.

When Jones replaced Evans for a title shot with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua in early 2011, the rivalry was born after Jones said in an interview that he would be willing to fight Evans if UFC president Dana White wanted him to.

After that interview, Evans said that Jones knew “what time it was,” and that led to Evans leaving Jackson’s and creating Blackzillians in Florida. Finally, after roughly a year of buildup, both fighters will settle the score for the light heavyweight championship in Atlanta.

But the buildup has not been as enjoyable as first imagined. When the grudge match was finally announced, I figured both fighters would trade insults back-and-forth and it would be a rivalry unlike anything seen before.

That simply has not been the case, and I deeply feel that both fighters miss the other’s friendship and hate that it’s come to this. During the conference call, Evans reminisced about the good times they had in training, and it was sincere.

But as soon as a subject involving Jackson came up, you saw both fighters’ passion intensify. It seemed like Evans generally hated Jackson because, in Evans’ eyes, Jackson chose Jones over him.

In fact, it was Evans that nearly predicted such an outcome when he tried to talk Jackson out of bringing Jones in.

“I told Greg at the time, I don’t think it would be a good idea, but Greg did what he wanted to do for Greg,” Evans said. “It’s about Greg Jackson getting the coach of the year award.”

This was when Jones jumped in to take up for his coach, and it was easy to see how much Jones admires Jackson and loves his mentor. So when it comes down to it, the root of their rivalry is a love/hate relationship with their current/former coach.

It has forced their hand, and they must now do battle inside the Octagon. Because of Evans’ familiarity with Jones, many believe that he has a good shot at dethroning Jones. Jones tends to think otherwise.

“I really don’t think my opponent can figure out what I’m going to throw,” Jones said. “I throw so much stuff. Greg said himself, ‘listen Jon, we could send Rashad footage of you sparring every day, and he’s not going to be able to tell which (strike) is going when, what side of the body, or (if it’s going) high or low.'”

Two great wrestlers with knockout power and outstanding strikes are set to fight for the title, and with a background such as theirs, it’s going to be the biggest fight of their career.

Though this rivalry may seem bitter with awkward tensions, the aftertaste of pure athleticism and newly placed alliances will make for a filling main event.