Rashad Evans is frustrated with having to wait for light heavyweight champion Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to return from knee surgery and return to the Octagon.

“It’s just frustrating,” Evans told ESPN.com. “I am a fighter and I need to make a living doing this, but at the same time it’s about getting that gold. But if the gold is something that I’m not going to get an opportunity to fight for then I have to face that possibility and move forward and do some other things.”

Dana White said the comments were bogus after Evans turned down a September fight to ‘protect his brand.’ Evans is expected to face Shogun in March

Events wrote the following on Twitter:

“Let me address this article that was put out.. First of all im not impatient about waiting 4 Rua 2 heal especially since it was my choice 2 wait! The UFC did offer me a fight since Rua was gonna b out so long against Lil’Nog. But I turned it down cuz the fight made no sense 2 me. A fight with Machida would’ve made more sense but they matched him up with Rampage. Dana White told me from the beginning they wouldn’t do Interm belt. So @ that point I decided I wait.

No in this article it makes me sound as if I’m upset about waiting which is not the case. What frustrated me was I was hearing conflicting stories of when he was coming back. One moment Dana would say May then in the article he said the fight is scheduled 4 March. Also Rua manager said he will b out maybe longer than June. So I was frustrated on how the dates r ranging.

But like I said I chose 2 wait. But I had a clear idea on when the return may happen then it would effect choices I take. I’m all fighter I’m not afraid 2 fight anybody! My record would show that! I’ve fought some of the best men in my era & lost once. And 4 the last time I never got offered 2 fight Machida 4 a Interm belt. Ed Soares did a article saying it would b a good idea..”