Tag: Lyoto Machida

UFC 140: Lyoto Machida Is Jon Jones’ Toughest Challenge Yet

In May of 2009, Lyoto Machida faced off against Rashad Evans for the UFC light heavyweight championship. During the second round, Machida knocked out Evans to become the new champ, and truly showcased how his style was a unique and underrated martial a…

In May of 2009, Lyoto Machida faced off against Rashad Evans for the UFC light heavyweight championship. During the second round, Machida knocked out Evans to become the new champ, and truly showcased how his style was a unique and underrated martial art. 

When Machida beat Evans, “The Dragon” dropped to the mat in emotional joy, celebrating his continuance of his undefeated record and newly acquired title. Joe Rogan filled with wonder, stated “Welcome to the Machida era,” a notion that would be over just as quickly as the colorful commentator could say it. 

After winning a controversial decision, Machida lost the belt to Mauricio Rua, whom Jon Jones defeated to the get the belt and become the current UFC LHW champ. Now, with injuries plaguing the LHW division, Machida was chosen to be the title contender. 

The MMA world has given great feedback on how undeserving Machida is of the shot, but at UFC 140, he will have his chance to prove he has what it takes to be on top again. 

Deductive reasoning would tell us that Jon Jones beat Shogun Rua, and Shogun beat Lyoto Machida, therefore Machida cannot beat Jones. However, in this sport, the distinctions are not so clear-cut. The difference of styles is what the sport started from, and what has evolved into a generation of well-rounded fighters, usually excelling in one area though. 

Lyoto Machida is the biggest challenge Jon Jones has faced so far. Not because of record, fame of name or physical stature; but because Machida’s style of fighting will prove to be a technical challenge for Jones. 

When this fight was announced, many expressed their disbelieve, discomfort and disapproval of the matchup. When given further thought, the two facing off for the title is a fantastic potential. This fight showcases two of the most unorthodox and elusive fighters in the LHW division, and in the sport of MMA. 

In the blue corner you have Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida, a fighter who has a very pure background in Karate and has been the most effective at adapting it to MMA. He is one of the least hit fighters in MMA, due to his ability to sit back, counter, and capitalize on his opponent’s mistakes. 

In the red corner you have Jon “Bones” Jones, a fighter who has a great wrestling background, continues to evolve, and is very unorthodox in his striking. He boasts the longest reach of any fighter in the UFC, giving him distance and room for his wild strikes.

Jon Jones is the younger fighter, who will try the more crazy strikes, but this could be the issue for him. Machida is well-known for looking for openings and effectively countering to make his opponents pay. Wild shots from Jones may be the opportunity for Machida to win the fight. 

Machida has the ability to be on his heels, and then pounce coming forward. He did this against Rashad Evans in their fight, and proved effective at keeping and adding the pressure. 

The only issue with Machida’s quick attacks, is that sometimes it leads to a push forward and thus he does not get in and out like he usually does. Being at close range with Jones is probably more advantageous than being on the outside, but Jones’ wrestling and ground game can be just as deadly. 

Jones’s challenge is to figure out where he wants to keep the fight. Lyoto’s striking is his niche, but Jones will be the only one looking for a takedown. An elusive guy like Machida does not give up double-legs very often, so a strictly standing battle may take place. 

Jones is the favorite going into his fights, which he would be against practically any other fighter, but the luster lost from Machida’s loss to Shogun is not as great as it is made out to be. The Machida era may be a sporadic one, but a deserving one in some regards. In MMA, Machida is an inimitable fighter that always poses a puzzle for his opponents. 

Jones’ win over Shogun was the biggest at the time, but arguably the Shogun that showed up that night was not the true Shogun. Not to take away from Jones, since Jones was not 100 percent himself either, but Shogun and then Rampage were his biggest striking power challenges to date. Machida is not a guy that needs power to put his enemy way though. 

Machida is a bigger challenge than Shogun or Rampage due to his effectiveness and overall style. Like Jones himself, you do not truly know what is like to fight him, until you fight him. A fighter can have trainers imitate the style, and can get marginally close to other fighters, but Machida and Jones are both that leave a bigger gap that trainers futilely try to close. 

In the Octagon on Saturday night, fans will have two of the most technically unique fighters squaring off for the belt. One man keeps his distance from his stance and footwork, the other with his reach and wild strikes. In martial arts movies, when two guys face off, they do a display of technique before getting into a ready stance and actually attacking each other. This fight could just be that stand off, or the frenzy that follows. 

Based on Jones’ and Machida’s styles, though, it is safe to cue the fight music and just wait anxiously for some incredible striking. 

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UFC 140 Fight Card: Power Ranking Every Fight on the Main Card

As UFC 140 approaches this weekend, many battles are scheduled for the anticipated Toronto event.The main event features a light heavyweight showdown between former champion Lyoto Machida as he takes on current titleholder Jon Jones, while a bevy …

As UFC 140 approaches this weekend, many battles are scheduled for the anticipated Toronto event.

The main event features a light heavyweight showdown between former champion Lyoto Machida as he takes on current titleholder Jon Jones, while a bevy of other battles are scheduled to serve as the supporting act for the event.

In the grand scheme of things, however, where do all these fights rank as for as importance? 

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Jon Jones: ‘I’m the Best Fighter I’ve Ever Been Right Now’

Filed under: UFC, NewsUFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones says he’ll be better than ever when he steps into the Octagon with Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.

Jones said on The MMA Hour that he’s been training four times a day, and that he’s physically s…

Filed under: ,

Jon JonesUFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones says he’ll be better than ever when he steps into the Octagon with Lyoto Machida at UFC 140.

Jones said on The MMA Hour that he’s been training four times a day, and that he’s physically stronger, in better shape and a better mixed martial artist than he’s ever been before.

“Judging on my numbers in the weight room, judging on my numbers in the cardio tests, it’s the best I’ve ever been,” Jones said. “I’m the best fighter that I’ve ever been right now.”


If that’s true it would be bad news for Machida, as in Jones’s last two fights he had no trouble running through two fighters who have previously beaten Machida, Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson. Jones also said that he believes that dealing with Rampage before their previous fight — when Rampage frequently denigrated Jones — has made him mentally stronger.

“Rampage elevated me in a way of being able to handle future opponents who are going to get under my skin and try to trash talk me,” Jones said.

As Jones has become one of the freshest faces and brightest young stars in the UFC, there’s been something of a backlash among MMA fans , and Jones said he hears from fans on Twitter who tell him he’s too cocky or arrogant. Jones said he’s not sure what he’s done to inspire that kind of backlash, but he has learned to accept it.

“I could see if I was Floyd Mayweather,” Jones said, referring to the brash boxing champ who seems to delight in making fans hate him. “I deal with it by realizing that not everyone’s going to love you.”

Although Jones has become a star, he says that hasn’t changed who he is deep down — even though he has changed as a fighter and become, in his own mind, better than ever.

“In high school I got the free lunch because we didn’t have the finances to go to Wendy’s for lunch like the other kids,” Jones said. “That I got good at fighting … that changes nothing about the real world. I have changed as an athlete — I believe in my heart that I’m the best, I believe I won’t lose to Lyoto, or Rashad [Evans], or [Dan] Henderson or any of the other guys. … As ‘Bones’ I’m growing and yeah I’m a little cocky and it’s important to be that way. But as Jonathan, in the real world, everyone who meets me will say I treated them with the utmost respect.”

 

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How Lyoto Machida Can Jack Jon Jones’ Swagger and Swipe His Hype Train

The main event of UFC 140 is a battle between two men who are extremely contrasted in how they have grown up and the styles they represent, but also are the same in the fact that both are victims of hype.That isn’t to say either fighter is terrible, bu…

The main event of UFC 140 is a battle between two men who are extremely contrasted in how they have grown up and the styles they represent, but also are the same in the fact that both are victims of hype.

That isn’t to say either fighter is terrible, but that many fans have bestowed accolades and predictions on them that they have yet to earn. It’s part of how being a fight fan works, and whenever a young fighter looks dominant as Machida and Jones both have, it is bound to happen.

Later in the week an article will be written about how Machida can use Shotokan Karate to beat Jones’ unpredictable style, but this one has more to do with how Machida can use the hype surrounding Jones to not only rebuild his fan base, but restart the Machida era.

It seems strange that in the middle of 2009 Machida was being trumpeted as the future of the division while Jones beat Jake O’ Brian in relative obscurity.  Now everything has changed in just two-and-a-half years.

Jones is hyped as the champion who will reign over the division, and Machida is the challenger who will easily be beaten.

But fans are fickle. Most seem to only remember up to a fighter’s last win or loss. Machida was seen as done until he knocked out Randy Couture, and was seen as unstoppable before Shogun Rua knocked him out.

If Machida can use his elusive style to defeat Jones, which is a better possibility then most believe, then fans just might return to the Machida bandwagon.

If most fans don’t give Machida much of a chance, it isn’t surprising. Jones almost seems to have gained a superhero status among fans, especially after stopping a robber the same day he beat Shogun Rua for the title.

But fans were quick to make Machida special too by connecting him to the moniker “The Karate Kid.” Unlike trains in reality, those in MMA can stop on a dime and can immediately transfer from one fighter to another in the blink of an eye. Fans have seen it throughout the years, and even if it looks like Jones is unstoppable it’s easy to look through MMA’s history and see that it might end Saturday.

Though Machida may have lost his undefeated record, he still has the nickname and a contingent of fans who believe in him.

And if he wins on Saturday he just might be able to get a bunch of Jones fans to join them.

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Lyoto Machida Says Preparation Is the Key to Beating Jon Jones

Lyoto Machida is more determined to win back the UFC light heavyweight title than before. The elusive Brazilian challenges Jon Jones next weekend as the two competitors are set to meet in the main event for the UFC light heavyweight championship.&…

Lyoto Machida is more determined to win back the UFC light heavyweight title than before. 

The elusive Brazilian challenges Jon Jones next weekend as the two competitors are set to meet in the main event for the UFC light heavyweight championship. The matchup has drawn so much intrigue from fans and critics due the respective styles each man presents.

Jones’ unorthodox striking, along with his unprecedented 84″ reach and Greco-Roman wrestling skills, have seen him dominate his opposition with relative ease. Machida‘s elusive, unorthodox Karate background has proven to be puzzling to a handful of his opponents, earning wins over Thiago Silva, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Rashad Evans, whom he defeated to capture the UFC light heavyweight crown.

Although both competitors’ styles have been effective, Machida believes that preparation will be the key factor to defeat Jones at UFC 140. 

“I watch Jon Jones’ fights thoroughly and really it’s about preparing for everything,” Machida said in a UFC 140 pre-fight interview. “I have been preparing and training 100 percent and I’m gonna be 100 percent the day of the fight. I will be the champion again.”

Jones and Machida will headline UFC 140 next weekend, live from the Air Canada Centre in Toronto.

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Muhammed Lawal Says Lyoto Machida Is "Ready to Stop" Jon Jones at UFC 140

Muhmmed “King Mo” Lawal is one of many fighters who have assisted Lyoto Machida during his training camp to prepare for his upcoming title bout against Jon Jones at UFC 140. Lawal, who displays some of the best wrestling in mixed martial arts, was…

Muhmmed “King Mo” Lawal is one of many fighters who have assisted Lyoto Machida during his training camp to prepare for his upcoming title bout against Jon Jones at UFC 140. 

Lawal, who displays some of the best wrestling in mixed martial arts, was brought to Brazil to help improve Machida’s grappling ability and emulate Jones’ wrestling style. 

After working with the former UFC light heavyweight champion, Lawal believes Machida is ready. 

“Yes, I think he’s ready. You know, if he wasn’t ready he wouldn’t be fighting. He’s always ready,”Lawal told TATAME.com. “I think when it comes down to it, it’s all about the game plan and he’s got a great game plan, so I think he’s gonna do it.”

Machida has undergone a complete transformation with his training regimen to prepare for Jones’ style. In addition to tweaking his wrestling skills with “King Mo”, Machida has added 22 pounds of muscle mass to his frame. 

The 24-year-old Jones has yet to be tested during his young career thus far, previously dispatching two former UFC champions in Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Quinton “Ramapge” Jackson. He possesses outstanding wrestling skills—along with owning the longest reach in UFC history at 84″.

However, Machida’s style is just as difficult to adjust to, which only few fighters have attempted to solve, but Lawal said the Brazilian’s training camp will benefit him greatly come fight night. 

“I think that if Lyoto does what he’s been doing, it’ll be hard to take him down,” he said. “It’s hard to take down a moving target. If you’re standing still, you get taken down, but it’s hard to take down a moving target.”

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