Former UFC light heavyweight champions Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson are set to meet on November 20 as part of the UFC 123 show in Detroit and many MMA fans are anticipating the matchup. Both fighters will be coming off losses, with Machida dropping his first ever recently when he lost the title to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. Machida on paper seems to have more weapons, but as we all know anything can happen inside the Octagon. In a recent interview with GracieMag, Machida explained his thoughts on the fight:
First of all, he’s a former champion, so Rampage is someone with differential. A fight between two former champions couldn’t be more fitting, two fighters who want their place in the sun. He’s a strong guy who has good boxing and wrestling. I feel he’s a bit limited standing, but he’s really strong and, although he may defend well on the ground, he’s not that good there, either. As I feel MMA is a sport in constant evolution, one tends to seek out all the possibilities, regardless of the facet of the fight that comes up. I’m going to exploit Rampage where he isn’t totally dominant. But I’m prepared for anything, whether it’s standing or on the ground.