Rashad Evans: The UFC is a business and Carlos Condit can't be too upset about losing his title shot

Nothing personal, just business.

If anyone understands what it means to fall by the wayside when it comes to UFC title shots, it's former 205-pound champion Rashad Evans.

That's because "Suga" missed his chance to challenge for the light heavyweight crown when Jon Jones squashed Mauricio Rua at UFC 128 back in March. "Bones" went on to defend against Quinton Jackson while Evans body-blew Tito Ortiz.

The promotion teased him with another title shot, but ultimately gave it to Lyoto Machida at UFC 140. Evans ain't even mad. In fact, he's grown accustomed to the UFC doing what's best for business, even it if stands in contrast to what's best for him.

Which is why he tells ESPN that Carlos Condit "can't be too upset" about getting bumped from a 2012 title fight against Georges St. Pierre:

"You have to understand that the UFC is a business, and it is about putting together the fights people want to see. At the time it made sense for Carlos Condit to step up for the fight, but the reality of the situation was the real fight was Nick Diaz vs. Georges St-Pierre. So he can't be too upset about that. He was the first to be called [to replace Diaz] so he should know exactly where he is. So he should be thinking, 'OK, they thought enough of me to call me in that situation. If I win my next fight then I'll definitely be in that situation.'"

Condit was expected to challenge St. Pierre at UFC 137 back on Oct. 29; however, "Rush" blew out his knee and was forced to put their fight on hold until early next year.

In the meantime, Nick Diaz pummeled former champion B.J. Penn at the same event, doing enough in the process to convince the UFC that the former Strikeforce 170-pound kingpin was the better, or at least more marketable, contender.

And it was a fight Diaz had already been assigned, until some media tomfoolery got him demoted.

In the end, all that matters is that Diaz and St. Pierre will be throwing down on Superbowl weekend. And "The Natural Born Killer" will need at least one more fight to get back to the mountaintop. Again.

Nothing personal, just business.