It was the fight that Tito Ortiz simply couldn't be talked into...until he was. Less than 24 hours after explaining via Twitter that he had turned down the fight because he had "a life and things to take care of," Ortiz was in against Rashad Evans at UFC 133 according to a tweet from UFC president Dana White."Get ready philly for Rashad Evans vs Tito Ortiz!!! Aug 6th LIVE on PPV at the Wells Fargo Center!!!!!!" White wrote at around 7:30 pm ET.
Ortiz's Twitter response was a more muted one some fifteen minutes before, as he wrote simply, "Only for the UFC!"
The move ended a furious day's worth of speculation about who would fill in for the injured Phil Davis on short notice, with both Ortiz and former UFC light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida reportedly turning down the fight.
Ortiz seemed especially immovable in his initial response, explaining 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! #positive"
Ortiz and Evans first met in the cage at UFC 73 in July of 2007, where they fought to a somewhat controversial draw after Ortiz was docked a point for grabbing the fence to avoid a takedown.
Ortiz would go on to lose three straight before salvaging his UFC career with an upset victory over Ryan Bader at UFC 132 earlier this month. Accepting the fight with Evans means he'll have just five weeks between bouts, and a little over three weeks to prepare, leaving him little time for the "peaking" phase that seemed so vital to him less than a day ago.
As for Evans, the move saves him from having to wait even longer for a fight after sitting out since May of 2010 waiting for his promised title shot, only to have then-teammate Jon Jones take his place after a knee injury sidelined him in the spring.
UFC 133 is slated for the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Penn. on August 6.
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