Karo himself has even said in the past that he didn't want to fight Fitch for his next fight because he wanted to fight a guy that he would have a better chance at beating so as not to jeopardize his title shot. Even if he was never officially offered a fight with Fitch, by his own words he still said he didn't want to fight him. That's still considered ducking in my opinion.
Taken from a recent article,
"And while Parisyan stood firm in his denial of any knowledge of an offer to fight Fitch, he did admit to requesting an opponent other than Fitch."
Parisyan-Fitch Feud Heats up; Florian Reveals Original Opponent for Next Fight -- MMAjunkie.com