Professional MMA Fighters Are Split on Rashad Evans vs. Lyoto Machida

According to Sherdog.com's article, some like Evans:

Joe Stevenson: I like Rashad. I just think that he’ll be able to use his wrestling to dictate the pace of the fight. I think Machida is very good, very talented, but they are both very similar in their counterstriking ways. I think that you’ll see a more crisp Rashad landing strikes on the feet and definitely more sound takedowns. From the ground, I don’t see Machida submitting Rashad. Maybe he’ll try to pull kimuras, but [he’ll] pretty much just be taking blow after blow from his back.

And some like Machida:

Robin Black: Machida does not have superpowers; he’s just a guy who’s super good at a fighting style that’s really different than most pro MMA fighters. If anyone could create a game plan that will work for Machida, it’s Greg Jackson, Rashad’s coach. If anyone can implement it, it’s Rashad. But I’m guessing it won’t happen. Machida has been so elusive and dominant; he hasn’t come close to showing his full skill set. Without it, Jackson can’t create a perfect plan, and Evans can’t make it happen. Machida finishes the fight.

Final tally? 10 pros for Evans, 11 for Machida and 7 undecided. For an event so marred by cancelled fights and reschudeling, the excitement for UFC 98 (at least among hardcores) is reaching a fevered pitch. The card actually features a diverse set of traits that satisfy a large set of fan interests, be it bad blood, technical battles (don't forget about Sherk vs. Edgar), title fights, sure to be slug fests, sure to be exciting if perhaps one-sided grappling tussles (Miller vs. Sonnen) and whatever else the night eventually delivers. Color me eager for tomorrow evening.