• UFC 133

Machida turns down title eliminator with Evans

ESPN staff
July 13, 2011
Lyoto Machida is coming off a win over Randy Couture © Getty Images
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Lyoto Machida will not step into the void to fight Rashad Evans at UFC 133, according to his wife Fabyola.

Evans is currently without an opponent for the August 6 event, after Phil Davis had to pull out with a knee injury. The UFC has around three weeks to find a replacement.

Tito Ortiz was offered the chance of an unlikely title eliminator but turned it down, and now, according to Machida's wife the Brazilian has followed suit.

"He decided he would not be able to prepare in just three weeks," Fabyola told Esporte. "It was very short notice and has a number of factors that need to be analyzed. So he decided he will not fight."

"The fight is close and for the sake of professionalism we cannot accept the fight," Fabyola later told Clicrbs. "We always do our best, but lack a few weeks and would not be fair to the fans [to have] a bad fight."

The next option is yet to emerge, although the name of Antonio Rogerio Nogueira has been mentioned.

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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