Lyoto Machida Earns UFC Title Shot Against Winner Of Jones Vs. Henderson

UFC president Dana White laid out a simple challenge to the four light heavyweight fighters at the top of the UFC on Fox 4 card - if you pick up the most impressive win, you will get a UFC light heavyweight title shot against the winner of the UFC 151 bout between champion Jon Jones and challenger Dan Henderson.

It was Lyoto Machida that claimed the spot.

White confirmed the decision while speaking with Joe Rogan after the conclusion of the card. Machida and Mauricio Rua both picked up wins over Ryan Bader and Brandon Vera respectively, but it was Machida's picture-perfect knockout of Bader in the second round that impressed the big boss man more than Shogun's hard-fought fourth-round stoppage of Vera. To be honest, it wasn't a very hard decision. Machida barely got touched and completely torched Bader. Shogun gassed quickly and Vera was in the fight until Shogun was finally able to get a stoppage.

All four men had faced Jones in the past, and all four lost. It was Machida that fought Jones most recently, at UFC 140, and took the first round before getting choked out in the second. There will be people that will criticize the fact that Machida gets another shot so quickly, but what Dana White wants, Dana White gets. We'll just have to wait and see who will be carrying the belt to the cage when Machida gets his next chance.

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