Lyoto Machida Hates Vaseline

by Brent Brookhouse on Feb 2, 2009 6:42 PM EST in News Comment 36 comments

UFC 94 was the event that seemingly had broken Machida through the "boring" label in the eyes of many of the haters. Now we're two days removed from the event and no one cares about "The Dragon." As Yves Levine pushed Machida off the stiffened Thiago Silva I smiled, ready to teach the newly converted the secret handshake and welcome them into the Star Chamber that is the Lyoto Machida Fan Club.

The story I was getting ready to write early Sunday morning was the one that most interested me coming out of the event: the myth of Machida's inability to connect with the mainstream audience.

Machida received a nice reaction at the weigh-ins, certainly not the kind of reaction one would expect after reading the message board talk of mainstream hatred leading up to the fight. Then Machida received a warm reception at the fight, and Silva was lightly booed as he was introduced. Finally Lyoto fought the perfect fight, turning Thiago's aggression against him, working from the outside with strikes and if distance was closed he threw a few strikes and used a trip takedown to further dictate the pacing and location of the fight. As the crowd erupted at the devastating knockout I was confident that Machida had just become a star.

But now I have spent 48 hours plowing through news about Vaseline, witch doctors, and greasy Canadians. It's obviously a major story, but by focusing so much on this one aspect of the card we are cheating Machida (and Jon Jones) out of the attention they deserve after their performances. So here's to a push for a little love for the guys who did their jobs impressively and without controversy.

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Seconded

I’m done talking about Vaseline. Machida and Jones were both awesome and deserve some love.

by FRANKIE on Feb 2, 2009 6:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Actually “the Penn excuse” is not a major story and that is why i’m very thankfull that we have another thread about UFC 94 that I can give my 2 cents about.

Machida looked really good but he still has questions to answer the guys he’s beaten in the UFC haven’t been that great except for Tito. But if he continues to impress and fights a little more offensivelly, he will be a tough guy for anyone to beat at LHW but i’m not on the bandwagon just yet.

by Raker on Feb 2, 2009 6:48 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I also wish GSP and his corner hadn’t cheated so we could be talking more about the future of Bones Jones. We already knew Machida was great, hopefully now he starts getting some respect.

by Reaser on Feb 2, 2009 6:52 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Machida almost looks sad there…

by iiowyn on Feb 2, 2009 7:04 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He looks like he’s worried he killed Silva.

by FRANKIE on Feb 2, 2009 9:45 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

what does this have to do with UFC 94?

oh yeah, there were other fights on the card.

by Kid Nate on Feb 2, 2009 7:11 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Well, the greasing is a major story. Or, it is now. I don’t think it should have been as big a story as it has become, because I’m with Rome on this: the commission dealt with any greasing at the time it happened, (intentional or not) and that was it. Or should have been it. Because there is no way, short of GSP admitting he directed his crew to cheat, that we will ever know the intent behind it. And believe me, it’s the intent that matters, and I don’t believe there was any malicious or negative intent. After all, there’s more than just one man’s reputation on the line should cheating have occurred: There’s the cornermen, there’s Greg Jackson, etc.

I too am dismayed that my boy Machida finally broke through to the general MMA community, only to have that snatched away. I think in order to clense myself of this, I will have to go rewatch Machida knocking Silva out. Either that, or I can go to a witch doctor to get my cleanse on. :)

by pud333 on Feb 2, 2009 7:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Rome was right. I believe the commission would have handled things further if it needed it, but they took care of it during the fight.

It definely took too long for Machida to break into the spotlight, especially with a win over Rich Franklin.

by boonea on Feb 2, 2009 7:20 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I still don't understand "backpedaling"

Rather than a punches or strikes stat, I’d like to see a stat on how many steps Machida takes forward as opposed to backward – I think people would be quite surprised to see that he takes a lot of steps forward.

Just because an opponent can’t hit you doesn’t mean you’re always running away. Both against Tito and against Silva, Machida took lots of forward steps – they were just so fast that people often missed them. Frankly, I think it’s pretty exciting to see how well a guy can avoid punches while still connecting solidly time and time again with his own punches. Unlike Chuck Liddell, Machida usually moves forward whenever he throws a punch. He just has impeccable timing and movement.

I think whether or not you enjoy watching Machida fight is based largely on how much you like the technical game. Remember the good ol’ 90’s when people would boo a fight that went to the ground? That’s because they didn’t understand the technical element of it, and how quickly and interestingly it could end a fight. People just found out how quickly and interestingly Machida can end a fight, but I think 99% of the people out there still don’t understand it. Otherwise the appreciation level would be much higher.

by jeffro231 on Feb 2, 2009 7:35 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

You'd have to have a category for steps to the side, and at 45 degree angles

as well has if jumping is defined as taking a step.

by Dooda on Feb 2, 2009 8:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Machida is on a different level as a fighter. Sometimes you have to go back and watch his fights again and slow them down a little to appreciate everything he is doing.

by Day Man on Feb 3, 2009 2:27 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wait are we still listening to Machida naysayers?

Kuwabara Kuwabara

by J. B. Maddox on Feb 2, 2009 8:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Yes and AMEN! Machida is super exciting and I love his style and character. I always have. There might be more fights in his future where he stays more elusive, but that’s better than clinching a guy on the cage with double underhooks for rounds at a time. they should break that stuff up quicker.

by Dooda on Feb 2, 2009 8:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Machida will be the LHW champ for a very long time.

I pray that one day he and Anderson Silva will fight, but that won’t happen.

by toxic on Feb 2, 2009 8:40 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

They have sparred a lot…I really wanna watch those!

by iiowyn on Feb 2, 2009 8:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Here Here

I’ve been over the stupid greasing faux-controversy since early this morning. This has all felt a little one-track minded.

"It's like a flying knuckle sandwich." --Rogan
"And many men have eaten it." -- Goldy

by thetakeover on Feb 2, 2009 8:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I feel you buddy

by spectaa on Feb 2, 2009 8:41 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thiago Silva 13 and 0wned.

by Pandanus on Feb 2, 2009 8:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I heard Machida has been greasing

You can see it between the first and the second round in the Silva fight

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Feb 2, 2009 9:23 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I feel dirty for reccing your other post.

by subo on Feb 3, 2009 2:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And smoogy will kill you.

by subo on Feb 3, 2009 2:38 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Was there a between rd 1 and 2 in this fight?

You got baited. By the way Machida’s greasing neutralized Silva’s awesome rubber guard which we’ve never seen him use.

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Feb 3, 2009 8:28 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Machida was so greased that time went backwards to negate the rubber guard. He was also so greased that he slipped Thiago Silva’s entire game plan.

by iiowyn on Feb 3, 2009 2:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

What could be more exciting than watching an extremely smart, talented fighter with a unique style? What is better than watching the evolution of MMA? I’ll watch one of Machida’s fights 100x before I watch one of Jorge Gurgel’s many “fights of the night”.

The only issue regarding Machida that irritates me is the hardcore fans that have convinced themselves that the UFC is trying screw him out of a title shot, when in fact they are clearly giving him a big push.

by Jahbulon on Feb 2, 2009 10:46 PM EST reply actions 1 recs

The way Machida seemed to hypnotise Silva then land clean punches was amazing to see. I just cant figure out how he stops his opponents from pulling the trigger, and when Silva was throwing anything, he seemed so slow and sloppy.

When I watch Machida, it’s like staring at a 3D picture puzzle trying to figure out what it is you’re seeing.

by Benicio on Feb 2, 2009 11:50 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Not to get too cheesy, but watching Machida I feel a little bit similar to how I felt watching Royce Gracie for the first time, and realizing that there was more to fighting than I previously believed.

by Jahbulon on Feb 3, 2009 12:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

To quote a guy on the other site I post on

If Machida had fought at UFC 1 we’d all be training Karate right now

Gimme 1 Round!

by skwirrl on Feb 3, 2009 12:33 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I reckon the extended wait for a title shot will work in Machida’s favour. By the time he gets a shot he would have had 7 or 8 fights in the Octogon and will be a much better fighter than if he got one sometime last year. If he got a shot before he was ready and lost, he would have had to wait even longer for another shot.

by brad23 on Feb 3, 2009 12:07 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

It didn’t work for Jon Fitch, but I see the reasoning.

by subo on Feb 3, 2009 2:39 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Machida deserves a shot before Rampage.

by Pandanus on Feb 3, 2009 4:16 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I disagree.

I think a former champ coming off wins against Wandy and Jardine is more impressive than what Machida has done.

By beating Silva like he did, he definitely deserves a title shot, but I don’t’ think he’s more deserving than Rampage.

by Phildo on Feb 3, 2009 2:29 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Machida was so pumped with his KO. As I said in other threads, it seems he is consciously taking more advantage of his openings now and it’s paying off big time.

The other thing I took away from the card was how determined GSP was to finish BJ. At the end of round 4 when Herb Dean was itching to stop the fight but BJ hung in there til the bell, GSP got up and punched the cage in frustration. GSP seems to be really developing that killer instinct and he seems more focused and determined every time he steps in the ring now.

I also got the feeling that when BJ swept him, he was really pissed with himself for allowing that slip up. Awesome to see how focused he is on the path to perfection and how any mistake he makes, no matter how small, is unacceptable to him.

by Benicio on Feb 2, 2009 11:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs