Who fills in? There aren't many big names available. Tito Ortiz, a winner just 10 days ago at UFC 132, was offered, said no thanks and explained via Twitter:
I have a life and things to take care of. The fight game is about making the right choices of my career. If you knew what I have been going through you all would understand. Peaking for a fight is what makes a fighter unstoppable! Timing is everything in life. This is a rebuild year for me not do or die. The time will come again!
Lyoto Machida is the most obvious candidate. Machida (17-2, 9-2 UFC) last fought in late April. It took him just 65 seconds to knockout out Randy Couture at UFC 129. Now Machida and his management team have to decide if he should take a fight on 25 days notice against a guy he already destroyed.
Machida produced one of the nastier knockouts in UFC history when he took away Evans' UFC light heavyweight title back at UFC 98. Evans (15-1-1, 10-1-1 UFC) tried to counter-strike with one of the best counter-strikers in the world, and was left twisted and out cold on the floor.
Evans still switched training camps even after a scheduled fight with former training partner Jon Jones went by the wayside. He's now working mainly out of Imperial Athletics in Boca Raton, Fla.
In fight No. 1 versus Machida, he employed lots of fakes and laid back. Hopefully, we'll get to see what Mike Van Arsdale and Brazilian Top Team can bring to the table.
If Machida says no, who's the next best option? Would Evans agree to face Rich Franklin or Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, who are already scheduled to fight each other on the UFC 133 undercard? A Strikeforce fighter like Gegard Mousasi (scheduled to fight at DREAM 17 this weekend) simply isn't high profile enough to put in a main event in the UFC. Any other ideas?
Shanna Moakler Portia de Rossi Jolene Blalock Nichole Robinson Monet Mazur
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