I'm not a big Matt Hughes fan, but I do respect that the guy calls it like he sees it, from his blog:

I went back and watched the Rashad fight again, and I think it comes down to bad coaching. In the prefight press conference, I heard Rashad say that he didn't bring anybody in who would resemble Machida's style. When I heard that, I knew that there might be some problems. That is probably a big reason why Rashad didn't do very well in the striking area. I also think Rashad should have been coached on using his wrestling talent. He didn't shoot one takedown that I can remember and he just made it a sparring match. If I was to coach Rashad against Machida, I would have told him to make it a fight, use his wrestling and groundwork to really dictate the match. Not just go out and spar with him. I think Rashad could have done a lot better in that fight. I'm not saying he should have won, but he's a lot better than he showed on Saturday.

Its easy to Monday morning quarterback, but  Greg Jackson's game plan clearly didn't work for Rashad Evans against Lyoto Machida.

HT MMA Mania.

Photo via  TopNews.in

One of the great things about running a community blog is the unexpected contributions from people who have some some subject matter expertise on a topic I personally don't know that much about.

This week's discussions of Lyoto Machida's application of Shotokan Karate to MMA is a perfect example. Luke has been grappling with the question of whether or not Machida's novel karate techniques will find wider application in MMA. A Shotokan practitioner, DanielH dropped by and shared his perspective in the comments:

But it is not true that you can’t learn aspects of Shotokan and apply them to MMA. Anderson Silva already does this as do many high level boxers and kickboxers. The difference is that level of understanding of the stand up game is almost intuitive to high level practitioners of other martial arts but is rarely ever isolated, categorized and taught the way it is in Shotokan Karate. For example, all good boxers know there is a time when an opponent can be attacked and they cannot defend, it is a moment when the mind is in reset mode so to speak, and in Shotokan there is a name for that moment. In boxing there is not. I remember training zanshin, and training how to measure and time a strike or counter strike not just based on physical moments, but by your opponent’s breathing, his eyes even would tell you when they are ‘blanked out’ or in ‘reset mode’ and can be attacked. I remember kyo as Machida put it.

Top level athletes can learn these elements or at least learn how not to give themselves away and be such easy targets for someone like Machida. Very much how in the early UFCs, after some basic training people were learning to sprawl and basic defenses against BJJ practitioners. The person that wrote the above e-mail is right, it takes years and years to be able to strike and fight like a high level Shotokan Karate black belt, and it is not attractive to most emerging athletes, but elements of what is TAUGHT in Shotokan are intuitively understood by other striking arts if not articulated well. What I believe will happen is this higher level of striking will be articulated better and implementations will be made in the game of the modern MMA athlete. And Shotokan will lead the way here with Machida being the standard bearer.

I should clarify that while Lyoto is implementing many Shotokan techniques that are novel to MMA, he's a very well rounded Mixed Martial Artist. A blackbelt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, he has also trained muay thai, sumo and wrestling extensively. But I do believe his application of novel techniques gives him an edge.

In the full entry we'll see some gifs and videos and Jordan Breen compares Machida's footwork to Rashad Evans'.

Continue reading this post »

 Check the math:

Several things stick out here:

1. Sherk threw more punches but missed far more often.

2. Even when Sherk did land he didn't land with nearly the force or impact that Edgar was able to land on him.

3. Edgar was able to use kicks to keep Sherk at a distance at times while still being able to land with some effectiveness, add diversity to his offensive arsenal and use the appropriate distance to keep Sherk from deep penetrations on takedowns should he have elected to shoot.

4. Then, of course, there is the issue of takedowns. In my mind, this is where the fight was lost, but let me explain what that means precisely. For such an adept wrestler, the numbers here really underscore just how poor Sherk's game plan was. It's not just that Sherk only attempted three takedowns (landing one successfully). It's that you'll notice Edgar attempted five and Sherk shrugged all of them off. Sherk is not only a good offensive MMA takedown artist, but his takedown defense is also quite excellent. Even if Sherk only landed a third of takedown attempts, it doesn't really matter. By being the aggressor and trying to takedown Edgar, Sherk could've accrued points with a more consistent effort. While Sherk may not have able to gather Octagon control points, aggression matters particularly in very even contests. And normally relying on takedowns can zap a gas tank very quickly, but we're talking about Sean Sherk.

Worse, a Sherk who is constantly threatening the takedown or actively seeking it is a Sherk who is crowding or smothering Frankie Edgar. With a more consistent takedown effort (feints as well as attempts), he could've far reduced Edgar's ability to get on his horse where the New Jersey native was able to damage Sherk consistently over the course of three rounds at the distance of his choosing.

MMA pundits and fans alike are sometimes critical of fighters who win without inflicting much damage through aggression and positional control, but Clay Guida has managed to actually amass a fan following while, if being at times inconsistent, putting together some quality wins and nice paydays through valiant, disciplined effort. I doubt Sherk fell on his sword for fans, but whatever prompted him to abandon his best weapon and improperly use his outstanding cardiovascular fitness needs to be addressed immediately. Edgar fought an excellent fight and one should not lose sight of that, but Sherk made it far too easy for him. What a shame.

A couple of days back our own Michael Rome wrote a post crediting Dana White for sticking with Lyoto Machida even when the haters far outnumbered the fans.

Ivan Trembow makes the counter case, pointing out that a lot of lucky breaks had to come Lyoto's way for Dana to give him the title shot at UFC 98:

Earlier this year, with a UFC record of 6-0 and an MMA record of 14-0, Machida was still passed over for a title shot in favor of Quinton Jackson (even with Jackson’s legal issues), who had won an incredible two fights in a row.

Even when Jackson’s injuries made it clear that he couldn’t fight on the May 23rd card, Machida still wasn’t going to get the next title shot.

It was only because both Jackson and Frank Mir were injured (thus preventing the UFC from delaying Evans’ first title defense until July) that Machida got a title shot before Jackson.

Even then, published reports at the time said that it still would not have happened if Zuffa had been able to convince Georges St. Pierre to move up his title defense against Thiago Alves to May 23.

The only reason they finally gave Machida the title shot when they did, rather than having him fight yet again before getting a title shot and likely against another tough opponent like Thiago Silva, was because all three of these things happened:

1. Quinton Jackson was hurt and couldn't fight on May 23

2. Frank Mir was hurt and couldn't fight on May 23

3. GSP was not willing to move his fight up to May 23

If any two of those things had happened, we’d be looking forward to Evans vs. Jackson in July, and Machida would have yet another tough fight before getting a title shot.

It’s only because all three of those things happened that Evans vs. Machida happened on May 23.

Fightlinker comments:

Still, everything fell into place, probably because Dana and the gang saw the Machida win coming a mile away. For his part, Machida came in and took Rashad Evans out in aggressive fashion. What was looking like it might be a second debacle in as many events turned into an impressive win for the Karate master. And now the UFC is being hailed for ‘pushing’ a fighter they originally had no intentions of giving a title shot to any time soon. Funny how life works out, isn’t it?

Now does anyone want to wonder how bad things have to get before Yushin Okami gets his shot? It’s too bad for him swine flu didn’t turn into the mega-pandemic it was hyped for … that might have done it.

Photo by Arnold Lim, MMA Ring Report

Over at Sherdog.com, I ponder whether Lyoto Machida's in-cage abilities and accomplishments will help spawn a renewed emphasis in traditional martial arts for MMA purposes and, if so, what would it take for that to happen and what such a revolution might look like:

For brevity’s sake I am simplifying the historical record, but this is essentially where the chemical reactions began. Catch wrestlers picked up the guard game, strikers learned how to control posture and defend the takedown and wrestlers learned their over-under clinch to set up opportunities for knees, uppercuts and elbows.

Another major transformation, should such a thing actually happen, will likely be far slower than the Gracie jiu-jitsu catalyst remaking the martial arts landscape in 1993. Part of it is that much of the known world is already conquered; there isn’t as much territory left to explore.

Additionally, one must always remember that what the host country of the early UFCs could offer helped eventually mold the product and guide the transformation. There may not be armies of kick boxers within its borders, but America was home to hordes of wrestlers of considerable skill long before Rorion Gracie and Semaphore Entertainment Group toyed with the idea of putting a moat around the Octagon. That wrestling became such an integral component on the modern MMA repertoire speaks as much to its effectiveness as it does to its prevalence on the soil from which the sport got one of its most major lifts. For another martial arts revolution to take place, MMA must be both highly mobile and easily accessible, something that is only now becoming a reality in the world’s richest nation. India will have to wait its turn.

Whole thing here.

Normally the Judo Chop talks about a flashy move that his been used to great effect, in most cases to finish the fight in spectacular fashion.

No, this installment of the Judo Chop is going to sing the praises of a simple technique: the double leg take down.

The double leg take down is a storied technique in MMA. A staple of free-style wrestling it was the lynch pin of the success of UFC and PRIDE tournament champion Mark Coleman. Tito Ortiz' still unmatched run as UFC LHW champion (5 title defenses) was predicated on the double leg.

Its a hugely high percentage move against opponents who don't know how to sprawl effectively. But every technique has its limitations and the flood of wrestlers following Coleman, Ortiz, et al into MMA brought with them the techniques to foil the double leg.

Nowadays, even MMA fighters whose base style is freestyle wrestling rarely bust out the old double leg, preferring instead the lower-risk arsenal of greco-roman and judo based takedowns that work from the clinch instead of trying to shoot from the outside.

Its especially frustrating to see a top fighter like Sean Sherk ignore the double leg. Sherk has a true gift for the move. He's got the timing, the explosiveness and most of all the power to put almost anyone on their back with it.

The photo shows him driving Frankie Edgar butt first into the mat at their UFC 98 fight. In the full entry Luke analyzes Sherk's beautiful technique and I bemoan the fact that he didn't bust it out until it was too late.

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In light of the holiday weekend, I'm doing the Monday Morning Wrap Up on Tuesday for those who only check up on MMA coverage from the office.

The Event:

• Lyoto Machida vs. Rashad Evans - Live Results and Commentary Brent Brookhouse
• Dana White UFC 98 Video Blog
• UFC 98 Wrap Up Michael Rome
• UFC 98 Awards, Bonuses, Gate and Attendance Bloody Elbow
• UFC 98 Photo Gallery AOL Fanhouse
• Lyoto Machida Dissects Rashad Evans to Take Light Heavyweight Title Kid Nate
• What Happened to Rashad Evan's Game Plan at UFC 98? Kelvin Hunt

• Matt Hughes Takes Unanimous Decision Over Matt Serra to Settle Their Feud Kid Nate

• Chael Sonnen Grinds Out Decision Over Dan Miller Kid Nate
• Drew McFedries Crushes Xavier Foupa-Pokam in 0:37 Kid Nate
• Sean Sherk Decides to Box, Drops Decision to Frankie Edgar Kid Nate

The "Lyoto Machida Era":

• Who Will End the Lyoto Machida Era in the UFC? Kid Nate
• Credit Dana White for His Support of Lyoto Machida Michael Rome
• Dana White Laid Ground Work for Lyoto Machida vs Quinton Rampage Jackson in 2006 Kid Nate
• BloodyElbow Time Machine: Lyoto Machida Brent Brookhouse
• Machida's title run might last awhile Sergio Non
• Must See Lyoto Machida UFC 98 Post Fight Interview
• How long can a ‘more aggressive’ Lyoto Machida remain UFC champion? MMA Mania
• Who Might Beat Lyoto Machida in the UFC? I Like Shogun Rua Michael David Smith

There Was More Than One Fight on That Card?:

• The Problems With Sean Sherk's Striking Luke Thomas
• Should Matt Hughes Retire After His Performance At UFC 98? Kelvin Hunt
• Frankie Edgar causes a lightweight shake up Zak Woods
• Why does Sean Sherk refuse to wrestle? Could it be due to finances? Zak Woods
• BJ Penn and Miguel Torres impressed with Frank Edgar’s win over Sean Sherk at UFC 98 (Video)
• Dana White Thought Frank Edgar Had No Chance vs. Sean Sherk Michael David Smith
• More Criticism for Yves Lavigne After Phillipe Nover-Kyle Bradley Stoppage Michael David Smith
• Great Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Demian Maia; Good Brazilian Jiu Jitsu: Dan Miller Michael David Smith

 

I am no MMA coach, so I am loathe to criticize Greg Jackson for the strategy he designed for Rashad Evans.  But I can't shake the idea that Rashad came into this fight with a terrible strategy.  I heard the idea of making Machida strike first in a number of places, but dismissed it out of hand.  Little did I know it would be Rashad's strategy at UFC 98.

People saw Thiago Silva get picked apart and concluded that you can't move forward against Lyoto Machida.  They took the wrong lesson from the fight.  It's worth first considering that Thiago moved forward with his hands down in reckless fashion. Nobody should conclude that because he lost via reckless pursuit, any pursuit at all is futile.

Thiago Silva was knocked down by Antonio Mendes, and had a very ugly slugfest with Drwal.  Nobody ever confused him for an elite striker.  That Drwal fight tells the true story of Silva's standing game, he is willing to be hit in the head over and over just to get his shots in, and that strategy had no chance against Machida. 

I maintain that beating Machida will take a constant and measured pursuit.  His opponent will have to continually move forward, try to cut off the cage, and smother him.  Will it be easy? Hell no!  Machida is amazing at moving around the cage, and nobody has been successful with this strategy yet.  But sitting on the outside and allowing Machida to dictate the exchanges is a recipe for disaster.

The other bothersome thing to me was Rashad's head hunting.  Machida's leaning stance combined with his reaction time and footwork makes it nearly impossible to hit him in the face from the outside.  His leaning stance necessarily leaves an opening to the body, guys need to circle to their right (Machida's left) and attack his body.

Whenever people discuss fighting Fedor, they try to think of the one thing they can beat him.  They look for the silver bullet.  People are doing it with Machida too, but he's too good all-around.  There is no silver bullet.  Whoever beats him will need an excellent chin, good defense, patience, cardio, good wrestling, good balance, good clinch skills, and the ability to do significant damage on the inside.  Oh, and one more thing...they'll need to be very lucky too.

Before his fight with Sokoudjou, I was among those that actively disliked watching Lyoto Machida fight.  I was at UFC 76, and his fight with Nakamura almost completely killed the crowd.  As we left the arena that night, a friend asked, "why don't they just fire him?"  At the time, I didn't think that was the worst idea.

It would have been easy to get rid of Lyoto Machida.  After boring performances at UFC 70 and UFC 76, they could have given him nothing but low end opponents and refused to re-sign him when his contract expired.  Instead, they gave him the highly-touted Sokoudjou, and then Dana selected him to send Tito Ortiz packing with a loss.

Throughout his run in the UFC, when fans and reporters criticized Lyoto Machida's style, Dana never jumped on board.  He's routinely argued that Machida is just getting comfortable and has the ability to be the best fighter in the world.  They put the full weight of their marketing machine behind him to promote this fight, choosing to focus on him instead of Rashad.  They are now supposedly going to put him on TUF, which is the UFC superstar seal of approval.

The UFC's timing with Machida was near-perfect.  Even if Rampage got the first shot, Lyoto would have been next in line in the fall.  People act like he was so screwed by the UFC, but in reality he got opportunity after opportunity handed to him, and he delivered.  He got to fight Sokoudjou in his UFC debut on a huge year-end card.  He fought Tito in a very high profile match.  He fought Thiago Silva in the co-main event of one of the biggest UFC shows ever.  Is it such a tragedy that they wanted fans to actually get to know who Machida was before giving him a title shot?

I suppose Yushin Okami is now going to be the posterboy for the "UFC screws foreigners" whine train.  In reality, he was scheduled for a title shot, only to injure himself and lose it.  And before he was injured again recently, he was in line to get his shot if he won at UFC 98.  He's probably two wins away now.

Promoting foreign fighters is tricky when your business depends on convincing a mostly-white fan base to spend money on PPV shows.  It takes a little more time building guys up before their shot, and they may have to win one or two more fights than an English-speaking, charismatic white guy.  This is an unfortunate reality, but Machida proved that hard work and sacrifice can break those barriers.

There are only two more events in this season of the betting game: UFC 99 and the TUF 9 Finale. Important: If you wish to join the Bloody Elbow betting ensemble, send me a message or leave a comment in this thread so I can send you an invite. Please make sure your login name is the same as your BE name or as close as possible.

Updated camp rankings in our Super Heavyweight division (60+ members) after UFC 98:

Congratulations to snet_tim who is the highest earner for this event using under $1,000. Snet_tim earned $710 on UFC 98 using $600 in wagers:

 
Additional congratulation goes to virginiatech who is ranked  #27 out of 5544 with 73 points awarded based on fight predictions for UFC 98. Virginiatech picked the Hughes/ Serra, McFedries/ Foupa-Pokam, Sonnen/ Miller, and Gusmao/ Soszynski fights perfectly.

The expanded entry contains the full camp results for earnings on wagers and points awarded through fight picks.

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