UFC 133 is just over three weeks away, and the promotion was put in a bad spot when Phil Davis had to pull out of his fight with Rashad Evans. Davis was headlining the event along with Evans, so Dana White needed to scramble to find a replacement. Tito Ortiz is the guy now, but it was supposed to be Lyoto Machida.
According to White, Machida has been bugging him for a big fight and got his opportunity. He initially said “yes” to serve as a replacement in the fight, but after discussing it with his team he thought better of taking a difficult fight on such short notice, so he demanded a monetary premium. As MMA Junkie reported late Wednesday, Machida’s camp told White they wanted Anderson Silva money for the fight. White said until you’ve accomplished what Silva has, you’re not getting the kind of money he does.
White turned to Tito Ortiz who decided to accept the fight after contemplating the decision since Tuesday night. Ortiz is also fighting on short notice, but he should be in good shape after beating Ryan Bader at UFC 132 on July 2nd.
Now if you’re looking at the who’s right and who’s wrong here, it’s fair for Machida to want more money to take the fight on short notice. He made the point “I can’t put my career at risk with a bad showing. I think I’d have more to lose than to win in that fight. I have a name in the company. I don’t fight without being prepared, even when I lose. I can’t step in and take the chance of having a bad fight.”
In order to put himself at risk, he should receive extra money for helping out the promotion. White shouldn’t hold it against him; he should just be happy Ortiz has accepted, giving the fans a rematch for which they can be excited.
