UFC President Dana White said that Chuck Liddell (picture) could be stepping foot inside the Octagon for the last time at UFC 97.

"Yeah, if he loses, he will retire," White stated Thursday on TSN's "Off The Record" in Canada.

That's only White's position though, as Liddell has already said he plans to keep fighting.

White believes the former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion has already cemented his legacy and has nothing left to prove.

"He's one of my best friends, I love him as a person," said White. "He's accomplished everything there is to accomplish. What else is there for him? The most famous mixed martial artist in the world. Made more money than God, has a ton of money, and was a world champion."

White says Liddell will always be with the UFC but refuses having to witness "The Iceman" revisiting anything resembling the knockout loss to Rashad Evans at UFC 88 last September.

"The bottom line is (that) I don't want to see him get hurt," White said.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans will be fighting inside the Octagon for a very long time.

On Friday's episode of "Inside MMA" on HDNet, Evans revealed that his new deal with the UFC is for eight more fights.

The agreement was signed after his title win at UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 over Forrest Griffin and replaces his previous six-figure contract signed after winning "The Ultimate Fighter 2" on Spike TV.

Evans completed nine out of the ten fights under his previous deal.

Evans (13-0-1) will make his first title defense against undefeated Lyoto Machida (14-0) at UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida on May 23 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Rashad Evans believes that Lyoto Machida will be the one standing across from him at UFC 98 in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 23. Evans was recently on the Sherdog Radio Network where he admitted that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will probably need some time off following his UFC 96 match.

"As I learned, 'Rampage' might need time off," Evans said on Sherdog's "Beatdown" radio show. "It'll probably be Lyoto Machida, but I haven't gotten a confirmation on that."

Coming into this past Saturday Jackson and Machida were both in the running for the title shot and Evans' opponent at UFC 98 would be determined by the result of Jackson vs. Keith Jardine.

Jackson won the unanimous decision over Evans' team mate, but was expecting the title bout to happen at UFC 100 on July 11. Due to Frank Mir's injury, the UFC decided to push Evans' title defense earlier and move Brock Lesnar vs. Mir 2 to the summer, most likely at UFC 100.

"Damn," Jackson said at the post-fight conference, according to Yahoo! Sports. "I'll do anything for Dana (White). I had plans to go on a vacation and find an Asian girl and fly first class, stay in a hut and tell her how I was going to win the light heavyweight title. Now it looks like I have to get my ass back to England to train in two weeks."

A fight for Jackson in May would be his third in five months.

The UFC built the entire UFC 96 PPV telecast around the assumption that a Jackson victory would make official Evans vs. Jackson at UFC 98, but afterwards, UFC President Dana White acknowledged the possibility the fight may not happen.

"We still have to make sure Quinton is 100 percent," White said. "It's not a done deal. Quinton has to go get something checked out, make sure he's 100 percent healthy. If he is, that'll be the fight. If not, it'll be Lyoto Machida."

The Sun UK is reporting that Jackson will be out of the UFC 98 card due to his jaw injury as well as a hand injury he suffered during Saturday night's main event with Jardine.

Even though Machida is going to get his shot at UFC 98, it is expected that the UFC will announce that Jackson will get the winner of the Machida vs. Evans fight.

Keith Jardine knows he wasn't the first choice to fight Quinton Jackson at UFC 96. Even if he upsets the resurgent fighter known as Rampage, Jardine doesn't want any part of the UFC's probable choice for his next bout, either.

Yet don't expect to see any reluctance or disenchantment reflected in Jardine's fighting tonight in Columbus, Ohio, where two top light heavyweights will meet in front of a sellout crowd.

Thousands of high school wrestlers and professional bodybuilders in town for a convention will see a card brimming with competitive bouts, even if the main event has a wealth of fascinating subplots outside the ring.

Jardine (14-5-1) is the final obstacle before Jackson's presumed path to another title shot, even if Jardine thinks he's "probably the third person asked to the prom on this one."

"I got a call, and I couldn't turn it down," said Jardine, the resilient 33-year-old who has beaten Chuck Liddell and Forrest Griffin but still has lost three of his last seven fights.

"I was excited, but they just think they're going to get a good fight from me. I like to strike, I've never been in a boring fight, and they're just throwing me out there and they expect me to put on a good show, but they don't expect me to win."

If Jackson (29-7) wins, UFC president Dana White said he will get a title shot against Rashad Evans, who won the light heavyweight crown last year by defeating Griffin, the man who took it from Jackson last summer.

Think that's complicated? If Jardine pulls the upset, he probably would have a chance for his first title shot, only he doesn't want it if it's against Evans, his longtime friend and training partner.

"Me and Rashad, we've always talked about that, and there's no way that we're going to fight afterward," Jardine said. "That's why people love this sport, because we're not businessmen. We're not like NFL players. They're trying to stay healthy and get a paycheck. We fight with all of our heart and our soul, and how are you going to go out there and give the audience what they deserve when you're fighting one of your best friends? That is just not going to happen."

Nonsense, White said. The UFC president has heard such protestations before from fighters who train in the same dojo or gym, and he doesn't think a friendship can stand in the way of the money and pride that come with a UFC title.

"I promise you they will fight each other if they keep winning," White said. "This isn't basketball. This isn't the NBA. There's no teams in this sport. These are fighters. What if Rashad holds the belt for the next three years? Is Keith just never going to take a shot at the title for the rest of his life? I don't think they're that good of friends. It's just a little game they're playing with themselves."

None of that will matter if Jardine can't upset Jackson. Although Rampage is a solid favorite, Jardine's unorthodox stand-up style and strong leg kicks present challenges that have troubled the former champion in the past.

"I'm really happy if people think I have a kick-defense problem," Jackson said. "I've been working on everything."

Jackson's roller-coaster career seems headed to another peak after his demolition of Wanderlei Silva in December, less than six months after his loss to Griffin was followed by his arrest after leading police on a chase in Costa Mesa, Calif. Jackson changed his life after the incident, embarking on the most serious training of his career in England, and has stuck to the regimen since beating Silva.

The UFC probably would have loved to match Jackson with Evans in Columbus, but Evans needed more time off after beating Griffin. Jackson wants to keep his momentum going -- and he freely admits he needs the money -- so he signed up to take on Jardine in what he hopes will be a bridge to a summer title shot.

"After my performance with Forrest, I've been so ashamed of myself," Jackson said. "Every fight, I'm motivated to go out there and look good and win, because I know what type of fighter I am. I was really disappointed in myself for letting it (get) to that point where I'm not motivated, and I get it in my head that all of these guys are easy.

"There's no more easy fights. I'm motivated to train hard every time."

Source: ReviewJournal.com

The first time Greg Jackson held pads for Rashad Evans at his Albuquerque, N.M., mixed martial arts mecca, he knew he was dealing with a special athlete. He saw speed, power and, most importantly, a desire to learn and a willingness to be shaped and molded. The cerebral superstar trainer was a potter with prime clay in his hands.

So it came as little surprise to Jackson when Evans -- Sherdog’s Fighter of the Year for 2008 -- smote Chuck Liddell with one punch and then captured the light heavyweight championship three months later when he stopped Forrest Griffin on a third-round technical knockout at UFC 92.

“We knew what he was capable of,” Jackson said. “He’s actually capable of more than what he’s shown. People have to remember he’s had only 14 fights. He’s still really young in this sport, and he’s only going to get better. The Rashad Evans you see a year from now is going to be a lot better than the one you see now.”

Considering the manner in which 2007 ended for Evans, it was hard to imagine such a rapid ascent for the former Michigan State University wrestler. He needed a point deduction against Tito Ortiz to earn a draw with the former light heavyweight titleholder at UFC 73 and then battled British standout Michael Bisping to a split decision in a lethargic effort at UFC 78. Still, opportunity abounded.

A fight with future hall of famer Chuck Liddell was announced for June, but “The Iceman” was forced to withdraw from the match with a torn hamstring, leaving Evans without a dance partner for the first nine months of 2008.

“The first half [of the year] was [as] frustrating as I don’t know what,” Evans said. “Coming off the Bisping fight … it wasn’t a fight I looked great in. I just wanted to get that monkey off my back, because you’re only as good as your last fight.”

Once Liddell withdrew, Evans was left to sit back and wait.

“I kind of got depressed,” he said. “I felt like I was in the best shape of my life at that point. Every time you’re out of the ring for so long, you feel like a rookie when you first step back in there. You’re getting the same nerves.”

Patience paid, however, and Evans was awarded a bout with Liddell at UFC 88 on Sept. 6 in Atlanta. Questions about his legitimacy were framed by the infamous heat and humidity of the Deep South, and Evans entered the match as a heavy underdog against the man who had ruled the 205-pound division with his iron fists. Nineteen days before his 29th birthday, Evans climbed into the cage against Liddell and spent the first round knocking off the rust from a 10-month layoff.

“Once you get in there and you get your rhythm down,” he said, “it’s really nothing.”

A scant 1:51 into round two, Evans made Liddell pay for a lazy uppercut and knocked him unconscious with a blistering right hand that left thousands of drunken mouths ajar at Philips Arena. The sudden victory -- and the image of a fallen Liddell struggling to regain his senses -- sent ripples through the MMA community. Suddenly, Evans’ name was on every reputable top 10 list. What’s more, it earned him a title shot against Forrest Griffin at the UFC’s year-end show in Las Vegas.

“He’s a really hard worker who’s super intelligent and has extreme talent,” Jackson said. “He’s smart about the way he lives his life and how he approaches it. When you have someone with those traits, it’s only a matter of time before you start having this kind of success.”

For two rounds, Griffin took small bites out of Evans in the UFC 92 main event, as he kept him at bay with his long reach and off balance with a variety of strikes. Even so, Evans never lost hope, and when the fight hit the ground in round three, he waited for an opportune time to uncork his fists. He struck Griffin with a vicious right hand from inside the champion’s guard and followed up with seismic blows that left him defenseless. UFC President Dana White wrapped the belt around Evans’ waist soon after, and his climb to the mountaintop was complete.

“Not that it was easy, but it was surprising how it just ended and how frustrated I was feeling the round before,” Evans said. “What I wanted to do when I came into the UFC was just go out there and be the fighter I thought I could be. I didn’t know if that was going to make me a champion, but I wanted to go out there and fight to my fullest. I didn’t know if I could be a champion or not.”

Now he knows, along with the rest of the MMA world. Still, it took some time for his latest conquest to sink in.

“I had a migraine [after the fight],” Evans said. “I was quite overwhelmed because of all the attention. I didn’t drink any alcohol. I just kind of sat back, like, wow, this really happened? [I was] kind of in disbelief.”

Qualified suitors from what many view as the UFC’s deepest division have already lined up. The short list includes former champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the unbeaten and elusive Lyoto Machida and Griffin. Jackson’s Submission Fighting teammate Keith Jardine might also join the fray soon. For Evans, staying on top presents an entirely new challenge.

“He’s got to get back in the gym and push forward,” Greg Jackson said. “He has to find better and smarter ways to do things. If you just sit back, the game’s going to pass you by.”

Evans (13-0-1) expects to fight again sometime in the late spring or early summer. “Rampage,” though he has indicated he prefers a rematch with Griffin before challenging for the title, seems like the most logical choice. One of the UFC’s most charismatic competitors, the 30-year-old knocked out longtime nemesis Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92 and has posted seven wins in eight fights.

“I really don’t have any preference on who I fight,” Evans said. “At this point, being the champion, you have to be willing to fight all comers now. I’m ready to go whenever, because now the game has to change. Now I’m the one that’s going to be hunted, and everybody’s going to be after me and everybody will be making gameplans and checking out my weaknesses.”

Jackson sees consistent growth in his star pupil.

“He’s living up to his potential,” he said. “That’s all anybody can do.”

Source: Sherdog.com

Rashad Evans is guessing that his first UFC light heavyweight title defense will be against Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Evans was asked about his next fight on a radio appearance Wednesday on the Big O and Dukes show on 106.7 WJFK in Washington, DC.

"I don't have any preference and they really haven't spoken to me about who I'm going to face next, but I'm guessing it'll probably be Rampage," Evans said.

Evans said he welcomes a fight against Jackson as one another's knockout power will create an exciting match up.

"I match up pretty well with Rampage," Evans said. "Rampage gonna do a lot of movement and I move a whole lot, but Rampage is a very, very powerful striker, so it'll only take one of his shots to change the whole outcome of the fight, and I'm the same way."

Jackson has said that he'd like to fight for the title but would prefer to first avenge his loss to Forrest Griffin.

Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell may have lost three of his last four fights but his mind is still on the UFC light heavyweight championship belt.

"I'll fight anybody they put in front of me as long as it gets me back closer to the title." Liddell said in a report on the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. "I have to try to be the best at what am I doing. I want Rashad Evans, he's got the title and I'll take it."

The two logical opponents for Evans would be an immediate rematch with Forrest Griffin or a fight against former champ Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Liddell could have arguably been the number one contender for the belt had Jackson not defeated Wanderlei Silva at UFC 92. Silva was Liddell's biggest win since Tito Ortiz at UFC 66 on December 30, 2006.

Liddell (21-6) could return at the earliest March 7 at UFC 96 in Columbus, Ohio. UFC President Dana White said at the UFC 92 post-fight press conference that Liddell was a possibility for the event but could not name a match-up for Liddell.

According to the Sun-Sentinel, Liddell has trained occasionally with the American Top Team in Coconut Creek, Florida after losing to Evans at UFC 88 last September.

UFC 92: The Ultimate 2008 fight card is perhaps the most anticipated of the year, featuring two title bouts and a third grudge match between MMA superstars Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva and Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

In one of the title bouts, Michigan State University's own former wrestling star Rashad Evans will go for the light heavyweight title against defending champion Forrest Griffin.

The other title bout features Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira against Frank Mir for the interim heavyweight title and the right to fight Brock Lesnar for the true heavyweight title down the line.

Here are the results for the event which took place at the MGM Grand Garden arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on last Saturday, December 27, 2008:

• "Sugar" Rashad Evans def. Forrest Griffin by TKO at 2:46 of Round 3

• Frank Mir def. Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira by TKO at 1:54 of Round 2

• CB "The Doberman" Dollaway def. Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio by TKO at 3:01 of Round 1

• Quinton "Rampage" Jackson def. Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva by KO at 3:21 of Round 1

• Cheick Kongo def. Mostapha Al Turk by TKO at 4:37 of Round 1

• Yushin "Thunder" Okami def. Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister by unanimous decision

• Antoni Hardonk def. Mike "The Juggernaut" Wessel by TKO at 2:09 of Round 2

• Matt "The Hammer" Hamill def. Reese Andy by TKO at 2:19 of Round 2

• "Bad" Brad Blackburn def. Ryo "Piranha" Chonan by unanimous decision

• Pat "HD" Barry def. Dan "The Viking" Evensen by TKO at 2:36 of Round 1

UFC 92 will come to us live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday, December 27, 2008. It will be called "The Ultimate 2008". Namely, that coming in it looks like the best MMA card of the year.

This event is the ultimate event of the year with the original Ultimate Fighter Forrest Griffin defending his title against "Sugar" Rashad Evans. Then the Ultimate Fighter coaches face off as Interim World Heavyweight Champion Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira takes on former Heavyweight Champion Frank Mir. Plus, two of the hardest hitting light heavyweight fighters go toe-to-toe when Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva battles former Light Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

Here is the fight card for the event:

• Forrest Griffin vs "Sugar" Rashad Evans

• Antonio Rodrigo "Minotauro" Nogueira vs Frank Mir

• CB "The Doberman" Dollaway vs Mike "The Master of Disaster" Massenzio

• Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson

• Cheick Kongo vs Mostapha Al Turk

• Yushin "Thunder" Okami vs Dean "The Boogeyman" Lister

• Antoni Hardonk vs Mike "The Juggernaut" Wessel

• Matt "The Hammer" Hamill vs Reese Andy

• Ryo "Piranha" Chonan vs "Bad" Brad Blackburn

• Dan "The Viking" Evensen vs Pat "HD" Barry

After competing in the three legendary light heavyweight fights, former UFC champions Randy "The Natural" Couture and Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell (picture) could now meet during a heavyweight encounter at a June 13, 2009 event in Cologne, Germany.

The report comes from the UK based The Sun, which cites UFC officials as saying Liddell has been offered the heavyweight main event.

The Natural recently lost his heavyweight title to Brock Lesnar at UFC 91. Liddell, meanwhile, has dropped three of his four past fights at light heavyweight, but he's made no public statement regarding a potential move up to heavyweight division.

A source said that Couture is open to his fourth fight againsts Liddell, but we've been unable to confirm is the fight has been offered to Liddell.

With the event apparently in the works for Germany, it should come as little surprise that the UFC invited a small contingent of German press to UFC 91 to see Couture's main event with Lesnar. The 45-year-old Couture speaks German and has long been considered a likely headliner once the UFC does head to Germany, a market UFC officials have continually mentioned as a site for future expansion.

Couture and Liddell took part in a popular trilogy of fights that played out between 2003 and 2006. Couture scored a TKO in Round 3 at UFC 43 to win the first match-up for the interim heavyweight title (the former champion Tito Ortiz had been stripped of the title), but the 38-year-old Liddell won back the belt and made a successful title defense over Couture with two KO wins at UFC 52 and UFC 57.

With Liddell potentially tied up with the Germany event, he is apparently no longer being considered as an opponent for Anderson Silva at UFC 95 in London, England.

The Sun reported the possibility of the match, and though not opposed to the fight, Silva's manager, Ed Soares, last week told that UFC had not officially approached them about it.

The newspaper now reports that Silva, who is the current UFC Middleweight Champion, could instead meet one of the losers from UFC 92's two marquee 205-pound fights: UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin vs Rashad Evans or Wanderlei Silva vs Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.

The fight would take place at 205 pounds as a non-title affair.

Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva has a huge opportunity in front of him after many experts felt that Silva's best days were beyond him after losing three fights in a row. Now he's looking at a showdown with a familiar opponent that could yield one of the biggest opportunities of his career, a chance at the UFC light heavyweight championship.

"I think after I beat Rampage (Quinton Jackson), it may be possible I fight with the champion," Silva told Fighter's Only Magazine.

If the Brazilian mixed martial artist were to win and Forrest Griffin got past Rashad Evans, it could setup a fight between sparring partners. When asked how he would deal with that possibility, Silva responded, "I am a professional and he is a professional. I like him, he is a very nice guy. Outside the Octagon, I am his friend, but inside the Octagon it is a business, a job."

The good thing is that we will not have to wait long to see if Silva would get a crack at Griffin as both fighters will be on the same card on December 27 at UFC 92.

What a huge night in Atlanta, Georgia last Saturday night when UFC 88: Breakthrough was held in Philips Arena. Here are the results of the show:

• Rashad Evans def. Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell by KO at 1:51 of Round 2

• Rich Franklin def. Matt "The Hammer" Hamill by TKO at 0:39 of Round 3

• Dan Henderson def. Rousimar "Toquinho" Palhares by unanimous decision

• Nate "The Great" Marquardt def. Martin "The Hitman" Kampmann by TKO (strikes) at 1:22 of Round 1

• "Stun Gun" Kim Dong-hyun def. Matt "The Immortal" Brown by split decision

• Kurt Pellegrino def. Thiago Tavares by unanimous decision

• Tim "The Barbarian" Boetsch def. Michael Patt by TKO (strikes) at 2:03 of Round 1

• Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald def. Jason "The Punisher" Lambert by submission (rear naked choke) at 1:20 of Round 2

• Ryo "Piranha" Chonan def. Roan "Jucao" Carneiro by split decision

Sometimes a change of environment can be good for a person. Getting a fresh perspective on things can often stem a tide of bad luck.

This is what the UFC fighter Jason "The Punisher" Lambert hopes to do with his recent move down to middleweight division to face Jason "The Athlete" MacDonald at UFC 88 on September 6 in Atlanta, Georgia.

Long a dominant force in the smaller shows, Lambert has experienced a mixed bag since making his UFC debut in 2006.

On one hand he's had impressive wins over the likes of top 205-pound Brazilian fighter Renato "Babalu" Sobral, and on the other he's lost three of his last four fights heading into Atlanta (from Rashad Evans, Wilson Gouveia and Luis "Banha" Cane).

With the decision to move down in weight, he looks to recapture past prominence and establish himself as a legitimate title contender.

"I've been training my butt off and getting ready to get down to 185," said Lambert of his recent activities.

"It's been going good. I've been working a lot on strength, endurance and stuff like that, trying to keep a lot of my strength going down in weight class."

Long known for his physicality, he says so far he hasn't experienced a loss in power that some fighters experience when changing weight classes.

"I'm still doing a lot of things that I did at the old weight class," he reiterated. "Just sticking with those routines has been pretty tough when you're cutting back on calories, but it's been going pretty well."

"The whole goal is to move quick and still keep that power. I'm just ready to get out there and get back into the octagon and test my skills."

At UFC 88, Lambert is slated to face MacDonald, a Canadian fighter who is also looking to get back on track after a loss in his last fight.

"I'm expecting a high-paced ground fight," he commented. "Both of us like to fight on the ground, so I think we're both going to be fighting for that top position."

"I'm sure he's going to be looking for some submissions, and I'm going to be looking to ground and pound, so it should be quite a ground war, for sure."

The loser of this fight could very well find himself out of the UFC, but Lambert says he's not feeling any of those anxieties heading into the match-up.

"I kind of try to drop some of the pressure," he admitted. "A lot of people can get sucked into that, but I'm just trying to go out there and have a good performance either way."

"I can't control every aspect, I just know I can control myself, and I want as fight as hard as I possibly can, and whatever happens is gonna happen."

Win or lose, he wants to continue to be active and take full advantage of his formative years in the sport.

"I just want to fight," exclaimed Lambert. "I want to get out there and compete as much as my body will let me."

"I wanna get out there and constantly improve. I think that's where you do it the most – in fights – the more you stay inactive and on the shelf, it doesn't help so much."

In a new weight class with an opportunity to rebuild his career, Lambert knows now is the time if he wants to make the run he's always been capable of, sooner than later.

"I want to thank Sprall fight shots and Cobian footwear, and my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ," he closed out.

"Thanks to all the people that stick next to me win or lose, because they know I'm gonna bring it. I come to fight hard for them, so I thank them for all their support."

There are lots of rumors circulating about a possible November bout between Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Wanderlei "The Axe Murderer" Silva (picture). And while most of the MMA world would love to see a third fight between the two (Silva won the first two, one by TKO and the other by KO) it's going to take some work for the fight to occur.

From Jackson's side, there's certainly some legal issues that he needs to overcome, and there's uncertainty as to whether he'd be eligible to fight in November. From Silva's side, he has requested to not fight until December which forms another roadblock for the UFC to get over. One could see Silva coming around under the right circumstances but it's hard to determine what exactly is going on with Jackson's situation.

The fight between these two will likely happen but the question of November is a hard one to know. UFC will market these two and the fight should garner good viewership, but with the returning of Noguiera in December, a Georges St. Pierre-BJ Penn fight on the horizon and a Chuck Liddell-Rashad Evans battle upcoming there's no real rush. Suspect the fight to occur, but it will require some luck for the fight to occur in November.

It didn't take long for UFC matchmaker Joe Silva to find a new opponent for Rashad Evans after former light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell had to drop out due to an injury. The former "Ultimate Fighter" winner will now face James Irvin in London.

"I was probably upset about the Chuck thing for maybe a couple of hours, then they was telling me I was fighting James Irvin and I was like, 'Aw man I've got to snap out of that, that kid's just knocking out everybody,'" said Evans. "I can't be on his highlight reel so I've got to train really hard."

The fight between Evans and Liddell was set to headline the card and while no formal announcement has been made by the UFC, this new match-up will likely be a co-main event with another fight.

While Evans remains focused on Irvin he still expressed his disappointment about the fight cancellation with Liddell.

"I definitely didn't expect it you know. I was very excited for my fight with Chuck Liddell, but I guess we'll have to do it another time," Evans stated.

"I'm a little bit disappointed, but I think I'm at the point where I'm kind of over all of it and focusing on my new opponent. He's very tough and brings a lot of things to the table so I definitely can't go in there being sad cause I'm not fighting Chuck."

This isn't the first change of opponents Evans has had to deal with as he was originally slated to face Thiago Silva as a part of the upcoming UFC 84 card on May 24.

"This is my third opponent so hopefully nothing happens to James Irvin," Evans commented with a laugh. "I hope he has a good training camp."

Obviously, the match-up with Irvin brings a different dynamic to Evans and his training camp, but it's something that he along with head trainer Greg Jackson will analyze over the next six weeks.

"I think that James is a bit more explosive than Chuck," Evans stated. "He's very explosive and he's an athletic fighter so he definitely presents his own problems being that fighter. He's a game opponent and he's definitely going to be a tough fight."

Evans is already in New Mexico working alongside teammates such as Keith Jardine, Nathan Marquardt, and Joey Villasenor who are all preparing for fights around this same time as his.

And while the former Michigan State wrestler is now focused on James Irvin, he hopes Liddell comes back soon and a fight between the two can happen.

"I hope James stays healthy the whole camp and I wish Chuck the best on his recovery so we can get in there and do it."