Lyoto Machida‘s dreams of getting his hands on another UFC title are still very much alive, but he knows the situation he’s facing heading into Fight Night 70.
The former light heavyweight champion turned perennial middleweight contender has been a major player in the 185-pound fold since dropping down to the weight class in 2013.
Having suffered setbacks in two of his past three showings, however, there is little room for error where The Dragon’s future title hopes are concerned.
Granted, both losses came against elite competition.
The 37-year-old Shotokan karate master was edged out by undefeated current champion Chris Weidman in a five-round war at UFC 175. He was then submitted by newly minted No. 1 contender Luke Rockhold in the second round of his most recent outing at UFC on Fox 15 back in April.
Nevertheless, the steadily rising level of competition in the middleweight division’s upper tier has Machida facing a high-stakes situation on Saturday night in Hollywood, Florida.
The former two-divisional title challenger will square off with Olympic silver medalist Yoel Romero in the main event at Fight Night 70. The bout figures to factor into the title race that has served to heat up the 185-pound weight class.
Soldier of God has won all five of his showings inside the Octagon, and Machida will be looking to keep his championship hopes alive by starching the former Olympic wrestler’s momentum.
“I was very happy to get this opportunity to fight Yoel [Romero],” Machida told Bleacher Report through the assistance of a translator. “I’m always training and it’s good for me to get back in there and fight. I believe defeating Yoel is very important for me in order to stay in the mix. And that’s the goal. I need to go out there and win this fight and get right back in the mix for a title shot.”
While the matchup between Machida and Romero is the classic “striker versus wrestler” pairing on paper, the rangy knockout artist sees an additional key element in his path to victory.
Machida‘s success inside the cage has garnered numerous title fights and main events, which has served to give him plenty of experience in five-round bouts—a distance that is uncharted territory for Romero.
Furthermore, the Cuban-born middleweight’s gas tank has shown itself to be suspect in a handful of his past fights, and Machida believes the difference in that particular category will be a determining factor in the tilt.
“This is a good fight for me stylistically,” Machida said. “I believe my cardio is going to make a big difference in the fight.”
Although Machida‘s quest to once again become a UFC champion will require some work on the road ahead, the work he’s done throughout his 12-year career in MMA has already started to craft his legacy. His elusive and dangerous karate-based style has made Machida one of the most highly touted and feared strikers in the current era of the sport, and that’s work he will always take pride in.
And while Machida admits he’s far from finished competing inside the Octagon, the Black House fighter knows how he wants to be viewed when his fighting days are all said and done.
“I would like to be remembered as someone who always respected the sport and was one of the first guys who was able to bring karate to mixed martial arts efficiently,” Machida said. “Also to be remembered as someone who always went out there and fought with all he had and was a good guy in the process.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes are obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
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