Braving the Sherdog Heavyweights forum just to compile an article is a commendable feat.
Or were you linked?

The basketball analogy is retarded. It’s what the Spurs do all the time and win titles because of it. It got the Pistons their championship. I guess winning championships is a bad thing because the Suns are the most exciting team in all of the NBA yet what have they won over the last several years with their all offense , no defense strategy? Nothing. Great job FightLinker, you just proved why Machida is a great fighter rather than prove why he is not. If not getting hit is a bad thing, then I don’t want to be apart of what’s right. And I’m sure Machida doesn’t, either. Machida reminds me of what basketball was like before the implementation of the shot-clock back in 1954. Do people not remember Bob Cousy and his famous “stalling” tactics while dribbling the basketball before the shot-clock ear? He got into the Hall of Fame, so why should we bash Machida for doing effectively the same stragety? We shouldn’t. And it’s a double-standard if we do. Get a clue people. What Machida does inside the octagon is poetry in motion. It’s sheer brilliance. It’s simply beautiful. If you don’t like it, change the channel. Don’t order the PPVs that he’s apart of and don’t call yourself a fan. If all you want to do is see guys go crazy in there and wade through a myriad of punches just to hopefully flatten the other guy out, then you are either a drunk or a guy calling yourself a true fan when you don’t understand the ins-and-outs of Mixed Martial Arts. FightLinker, cease posting. You have no credibility.

He outstruck Tito, stuffed ALL of Tito’s takedowns attempts, took Tito down once himself, and nearly finished the fight two different times (the end of the first round and after the knee in the third round). Instead of blasting Machida, how about Tito chasing him and playing into his gameplan nearly the entire fight?

but Machida’s style is exactly whats wrong with boxing today. Fighters fighting not to lose instead of fighting to win. Pushing the pace in my opinion is what separates the excitement of MMA from the boredom on modern day boxing. Go watch some Hagler – Hearns fights and see if those guys were trying to win on points.

What I don’t get is why posters like Fightlinker believe MMA is only about a certain type of fighter or fighting? The sport is Mixed Martial Arts. Machida does that perfectly. His stand up, his ground game, his grappling, his game plan – it’s all a part of being a smart fighter. Standing in front of someone while they throw punches at you in the hopes that your punches will be more effective is about as effective as a coin toss.

I believe there is room enough for all styles of fighting in MMA. As exciting as standing and banging is, not everyone can or should be like Wanderlei Silva or Chris Leben.

Not that Fightlinker needs defending but all you bullcrap technical analysts are being the exact snobs that he speaks of. I thought Machida’s 1st round was excellent for all the reasons mentioned above. But the real reason I was impressed was the clinch & subsequent takedown. I did not think he had the strength or technique to throw a larger, stronger opponent like that. Round 2 was dreadful. There was almost no effective offense by either opponent. Round 3 was slightly better but not thrilling. Take away that huge knee (which was absolutely beautiful) & there was very little to score. Machida would have gotten an excellent score on Dancing With The Stars, not in MMA. And the references to boxing & “winning” are relevant to the sports growth with a major exception. I’m a big boxing fan but guys like Hopkins (whom I am a big fan) & Floyd are the ones who usually do just enough to win & don’t try to inflict serious damage. Look at Floyd’s UGLY fight w/Hatton. He negated Hatton’s rough tactic offense while doing just enough to win rounds. Finally, he unleashed a devastating hook that put Hatton away. While it reminded me how skillful Floyd is, it also reminds me that he never threw a big punch like that against Oscar. He was content to dance & peck at him. I don’t want to see sluggers, but I do want to see guys try to finish. Machida dominated Sokoudjou & that was thrilling. But that wasn’t the type of performance he put on against the aging dinosaur of the sport that Ortiz has become. I can’t wait for Machida’s next fight. Yet I hope it is an inspired, confident, offensive & intelligent Machida. The guy that all of the “experts” are clamoring over.

Not a big fan of Machida, I can appreciate his technical prowess but that doesn’t mean I particularly look forward to his fights. Thankfully the fight was interesting because it had a big storyline and the 3rd round proved to be exciting enough to rescue the whole match. If the fight didn’t have the storyline or the exciting finish it would have been a dud in my opinion and this is the UFCs biggest problem. Machida, while he wins, does not make for a particularly exciting match.

I love Machida for several reasons. He comes across as humble and respectful, is surprisingly strong and impossibly quick, and he’s representing all karateka in MMA. If you’re getting hit - AND hurt - and you’re unable to return the favour, you’re getting beat. There’s no way around it.

Machida, even to someone who has watched MMA for years, is boring. Hearing one of my favorite commentators in Joe Rogan having to say how elusive Machida is over 10 times in 15 mins was sickening. Chuck is Elusive but kicks the crap out of people. Machida is elusive and does nothing that makes anyone excited.