Lyoto Machida's Next Opponent
by Michael Rome on Sep 9, 2008 10:16 PM EDT
in MMA News
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PrintAccording to the UFC website, Lyoto Machida has been removed entirely from the UFC 89 card. Shane Carwin's fight is now on the main card instead.
I haven't heard any estimates on how long Thiago Silva will be out, but this could be a blessing in disguise for Machida. Beating Thiago probably would not have put him into title contention, and he's now open to a face a number of different guys.
One name being thrown around is Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in December. Shogun would be an underdog in that fight, which would have been hard to believe back before their respective fights at UFC 76. It's hard to see how Shogun would beat Machida stylistically, but it makes for an intriguing fight.
Personally, I'd like to see Machida fight Rampage Jackson. That is the true number one contender match at this point, and with Chuck Liddell out of the 205 title picture, it's much harder to keep Machida in title purgatory. Machida/Shogun is more like a Sherdog dream match and less of a match that will do much of anything for either guy.
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Those two potential fights are interesting. I can see how a win over Rampage would do the most for Machida in regards to a title shot. I just wonder if Machida can ever gain any real fan support, given his fighting style? Personally, I like to watch him fight, but there’s a pretty vocal group of detractors that can’t stand Machida. Then, there are the people who don’t think it’s a fight unless the two combatants are beating each others heads off. It just seems that Machida as champion will be a difficult sell if he does capture the belt at some point.
I can see Machida vs. Jackson, Shogun vs. Bonnar and Wanderlei vs. Franklin at about the same time. I can also see the winner of Sokoudjou vs. Cane facing the winner of Jardine vs. Vera.
Makes sense.
by Flying Gogoplata on Sep 9, 2008 10:57 PM EDT reply actions
Although Machida vs. Shogun, Wanderlei vs. Jackson and Franklin vs. Bonnar might also work.
by Flying Gogoplata on Sep 9, 2008 11:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Could Machida be filling big Tim’s shoes?
Remember, they used to have to have a great co-main event to get Tim’s cards on the radar. Then you would watch, hoping Tim would get beat. I was never a big-time Randy fan (even as a 205 title holder) until the punch that sent Sylvia to the fence.
Machida’s fighting style is definitely fascinating, but it isn’t the trend you would want several fighters to follow. I’m not saying that i am not a fan, but Florian drew the same criticism from the same fan-base that doesn’t like Machida on his last fight.
To solidify my point, there’s not many that didn’t get excited when Tito came so close to locking in the triangle.
Maybe they signed Ivan Serati with the idea being that he could be a late replacement for T. Silva at UFC 89.
Jon Jones is also out there and looking for another fight before year’s end, but he isn’t ready for Lyoto by a longshot and hopefully that is not on the table.
Hopefull with Soares looking after him, it will be another fight that actually does something for Lyoto, but considering how they’ve done Machida so far, and looking at other guys like Werdum blowing in the wind so to speak, I wouldn’t rule any matchup out.
Machida vs. Franklin 2
Make it happen.
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." - Sir Winston Churchill
Would Franklin want that?
I would love it, but I really don’t think Franklin would take that fight and I don’t see that he would take it.
Franklin has been outclassed three times, against two opponents. And he has only three losses. One of his strength is winning close matches. But does anyone really believe that he would fare any better against Machida this time?
I don’t see that Franklin ould have any reason to do the same with Machida as he did with Silva, especially since there is no title on the line.
Machida
Everyone talks about ‘the way’ Machida fights. For sure, he has a very personal style; but it is also true that he has been quite uneven. I thought he was truly great against Ortiz. He jumped in for attacks and made quite much damage using a wide variety of attacks. He did a slam, a vicious knee and many shots to everywhere on poor Tito.
Sokoudjou he finished, so absolutely nothing to complain about there. I can’t see how anyone can call the Machida of those two fight boring. It just doesn’t make sense.
On the other hand, were I to judge him as a fighter after only the Nakamura fight I would not only not be overly impressed, but I would also find him really boring.
But I think he is better now and better accostumed to the cage and UFC than during the Nakamura fight.
Innit just so that Kaz makes fights boring if he’s fighting anything but a bona fide wild man?
by ununkvadrium on Sep 10, 2008 4:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I’d like to see Machida fight Rampage or Franklin.
Franklin would get mauled by W. Silv so would Bonnar – doesn’t mean I don’t want to see it, but it’s quite predictable.
Sokojdou and Shogun should fight as well.
Maybe for Chuck’s next fight he can fight Coleman, didn’t he say he wanted to fight at 205?
"My job is a decision-making job, and as a result, I make a lot of decisions." --George W. Bush, The Decider, Lancaster, Pa., Oct. 3, 2007
What makes you guys think Franklin wouldn’t get utterly destroyed or dominated by Machida a second time? At least with Wanderlei or Bonnar Franklin can stay outside to avoid most damage and win the match on points.
by Flying Gogoplata on Sep 10, 2008 2:16 PM EDT reply actions
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