Can crushing: You’re both doing it wrong.
With Jon Jones fighting Quinton Jackson at UFC 135, and the winner of that fight more than likely fighting Rashad Evans, the light-heavyweight title is not without challengers. Based on a report being passed along by MMAMania.com, the winner of Jones/Jackson vs. Evans may already have a challenger in line as well. Rumor has it that Lyoto Machida vs. Phil Davis is in the works for a future card.
As you may remember, when Phil Davis was forced to withdraw from his fight with Rashad Evans at UFC 133 due to a knee injury, Lyoto Machida was originally set to replace him. However, Machida felt he was worth that “Anderson Silva money” and declined the bout. So having the two potential Rashad Evans opponents fight each other for the right to potentially fight Rashad Evans sort of makes sense, I guess.
Excluding Rashad’s decision to stand and trade with Machida and an aging Randy Couture, is Machida capable of stopping a wrestler like Davis? For that matter, is Davis ready for a striker like Machida? According to Lyoto’s management, yes to the latter. As translated by MMAMania, “He’d be a huge opponent for Lyoto, who’s one of the biggest idols of the sport in Brazil and needs to fight again soon.”
As for the former question, Lyoto handles that one: “It’d be a clash of styles. Davis is a wrestler, who keeps a strong rhythm on all the rounds until the end. I would need to adjust some aspects in my training to fight him, but this technical change always was one of my best characteristics. I won’t have any problems.”
Famous last words, or is Lyoto’s striking going to be too much for Phil Davis? Better question, will this fight actually get made? Your call, Potato Nation.