Former UFC champion Lyoto Machida may have seen better days in the octagon, but retirement has yet to cross his mind.

In May, Machida will celebrate two things: his 40th birthday and the 15th anniversary of his first professional MMA bout. In the UFC, where he’s been since 2007, “The Dragon” has held a belt in the 205-pound division and fought for titles another two times – once in his original light heavyweight class and later as a middleweight.

The impressive resume, however, contrasts with his latest run.

Not only has Machida lost three in a row – the worst skid of his career – there was also an involuntary layoff in the mix. After disclosing the use of a banned substance, he was given a harsh suspension by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) for 18 months.

Still, Machida’s head remains in the game.

“Of course, age comes for everyone,” Machida said during an online scrum with Brazilian reporters this past week. “But as long as I feel good and willing, as long as I have the feel to train and to take part, I don’t see why – as long as I can train well with the younger folk, people at a high level, who are fighting in the same promotion, I don’t think there’s a reason to think about stopping. I still have plenty left in the tank.”

Machida (22-8 MMA, 14-8 UFC) is now scheduled to meet Eryk Anders (10-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) on Feb. 3, at UFC Fight Night 125, in Machida’s adopted home of Belem do Para, Brazil. The middleweight bout headlines the card.

It’s a relatively quick turnaround for Machida, who returned from suspension on Oct. 28 at UFC Fight Night 119 against Derek Brunson. The headliner in his home country didn’t quite go as planned for Machida, who suffered his quickest loss yet.

The rough patch isn’t lost on the level-headed Machida. But he wasn’t about to let the setback steer him off his path.

“It wasn’t easy, especially at first,” Machida said. “I’d been away for a while and I expected a different result – given the camp and the training that I had. But that’s fighting. That’s what makes the sport so interesting: We don’t know who’s going to win, favorites or not.

“Dealing with that wasn’t easy. I had to really concentrate and be sure of what I want. At times like these, it’s very easy to get so shaken that you stop wanting it. And I really want it.”

There’s a tricky situation there with Anders. The former LFA champion, who left a successful career in football before putting together an undefeated MMA record, made an immediate impression upon entry in the UFC – when he needed only three minutes to knock Rafael Natal out (and into retirement).

For Anders, who requested the matchup, the upsides are numerous. He gets to venture into enemy territory to headline an event in what will only be his third UFC appearance. If he wins, he will have beaten a former champion in Machida – who’s also ranked No. 13 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA middleweight rankings,

It’s fair to say that when it comes to the veteran Machida, who’s faced some of the most well-known names in the sport, a hungry-up-and-comer with a still-obscure name isn’t the flashiest resume addition.

But Machida says there was no hesitation when the name was mentioned.

“I wanted to return,” Machida said. “So when the UFC made the offer, I didn’t think twice. I think the best thing to overcome a rough time, a loss, is to get back in there and really show what you’ve been working on.

“… Eryk Anders has a lot of physical vigor, he’s young. But experience is for sure something I have over him. I have many more fights. I’ve faced more situations like title fights and main events.”

While the want to return was there already, it was made more urgent by the circumstances. Machida wasn’t born in Belem, but that’s where he grew up. Faced with the opportunity to perform in front of his longtime friends and family, he seized it.

“Maybe I’d have waited another month, month and a half in order to return,” Machida said. “But the situation motivated me a lot.”

With retirement off the table for now, Machida is more immediately focused on shaking off his rough patch. That, of course, starts with a win next month. But that doesn’t mean he’s stopped thinking about a bigger aspiration: the 185-pound belt.

“Yes (I think about the title), we always have a final goal,” Machida said. “But my main goal, right now, is to return well. It would be very presumptuous of me to think about something like a title fight now.

“Of course I have that final goal. But my main focus is on my return. It’s what I’ve been thinking and strategizing about. I live one moment at a time. I’m living this moment, right now, and for me it’s the most important one.”

For more on UFC Fight Night 125, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.