UFC: Rashad Evans Says Lyoto Machida Can Cause Problems for Jon Jones

Although Rashad Evans will not receive a title shot against Jon Jones any time soon, he does see Jones' next opponent, Lyoto Machida, as a potential threat to the champion. 

Evans' recent injuries have cost him his title shot once again, after failing to set up a title bout against his former teammate on two previous occasions. Machida has accepted to step in for "Suga" and face Jones at UFC 140.

Evans spoke with FightHype.com about the upcoming title bout, saying the Brazilian poses an interesting challenge and has all the tools to beat the champion.

"If anybody can give him trouble, I would think it would be Machida," Evans said. "One reason is Machida's used to that kind of craftiness and movement because he trains with Anderson Silva, so he's used to seeing that."

Evans met Machida in 2009. The former champion found himself on the receiving end of one of the most brutal knockouts in UFC history.

The win allowed the Brazilian to walk away with his unbeaten record intact and the UFC light heavyweight title, leaving a blemish on Evans' record and the lone loss of his career. 

Since then, Machida dropped the title to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and lost a controversial decision to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, but he rebounded with another highlight-reel knockout over Randy Couture at UFC 129. 

After experiencing Machida's style, Evans believes "The Dragon" could utilize his speed and footwork to prevail over Jones.

"If he can use his footwork and watch out for some of the tricks and not stay on the outside and watch like everyone else does...I think he could do pretty good in this fight," he said.