Lyoto Machida‘s fighting style mirrors his quest for championship gold in the sense that he’s never truly out of striking distance.
Inside the Octagon, “The Dragon” has proven he possesses one of the most complex striking games ever put on display under the UFC banner, and that versatile approach has yielded impressive results.
Over the past seven years, the 36-year-old Brazilian karate master has entered the cage as both champion and challenger, but regardless of what side of the equation he’s on, there always seem to be high stakes hovering in the balance.
Those particular circumstances were elevated immediately upon his arrival in the middleweight division, as the former light heavyweight champion was figured to be a major player in the 185-pound title race.
Machida has validated that notion to the fullest, winning all but one of his four showings as a middleweight, with his lone setback coming in a five-round war with current champion Chris Weidman at UFC 175 last July.
Despite coming out on the losing end of his bout with Weidman, the Shotokan karate fighter is eager to get back to another championship opportunity.
With that in mind, he made quick work out of C.B. Dollaway when they met at Fight Night 58 back in December. Machida folded “The Doberman” with a vicious body kick in the first round of the bout. The victory over Dollaway put him back on track and moving toward the top of the division once again.
He’s now in line for another high-stakes affair.
The Team Black House fighter will square off with Luke Rockhold this Saturday at UFC on Fox 15 in Newark, New Jersey, in a fight that has the potential to earn him another shot at the middleweight strap.
Therefore, Machida has once again put his goal within range, and the next step—as it has always been—will be about closing the distance between himself and the ultimate goal.
He knows what will be on the line when the cage door closes at the Prudential Center on Saturday night and is confident he’ll have what it takes to topple the former Strikeforce champion in impressive fashion at UFC on Fox 15.
“I am hungry for the title and to become champion,” Machida told Bleacher Report. “Every day when I wake up, I think about being a champion again. It’s my greatest motivation and is always my goal to get the belt.
“Every fight is going to be a big fight for me, but I always try to bring some different motivation for every one of them. For this fight, to fight a guy like Luke—who is a tall guy with good stand-up—is going to be a good challenge for me. I like to challenge myself. This fight is going to be on the feet. Sometimes you can go to the ground, but I think this fight is going to take place standing.”
In addition to a constant presence in the realm of high-profile fights, Machida has doggedly pursued a mastery of his craft as a mixed martial artist.
Where that determination drove him to the highest levels of karate and then to become a UFC champion, the Brazilian striking phenom has used to same mindset to push his MMA skill set to become an art form as well.
For Machida, it’s not just about being successful in MMA—it’s about refining his craft to a place of excellence. He believes experience has played a huge role in this effort, and that time and diligence has finally allowed him to arrive at a place where everything has fallen into place.
While his complex presentation inside the Octagon has baffled the majority of his opponents and made fans latch onto his unique style, Machida sees these things as proof that his hard work is paying off.
“I think it all has to do with my maturity,” Machida said. “I’ve become a more mature fighter. I’m 36 years old and I’m more confident in my skills. I can now show everyone all my technique. Back in the day, I was too young. I wasn’t able to do everything. Sometimes you have some block in your mind that stops you, but that is gone and I’m able to do everything I want to do.
“I cannot see things better, but I can feel it. I’m more calm and I can feel all the energy in there. I can use all of my skills because I’m at ease in an uncomfortable place. I can keep my distance very well. I can control my opponent because I came from karate. It is my strong point because it doesn’t matter if my opponent has 1,000 kilos of power in their hands. If you don’t touch me, it doesn’t matter.
“It feels great that everyone gets excited to watch me fight,” he added. “It shows that I have a lot of fans and everyone is always so curious about my style. If I change something and bring something new for every fight, people always pay attention to it. I’m a mystery to a lot of people and I enjoy that.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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