Once in a while, a singular talent will arise and utterly dominate this sport. He comes out of nowhere, immediately starts whipping top-ranked fighters with years’ more experience, and leaves both fans and his opponents in awe of his abilities. Jon Jones is that guy right now. And nobody knows how fleeting that moment is better than Lyoto Machida, whose invincible aura (and “era“) went up in smoke as quickly as it arrived.
That’s what gives Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida such a great storyline for their meeting on December 10th in Toronto. Besides Machida’s unorthodox style, which could be an effective counter to Bones’s own funky attacks, the Dragon stands as a living reminder that nobody is invincible — seriously, not even Jon Jones — and defeat is simply a matter of running into the wrong guy on the wrong night.
Once in a while, a singular talent will arise and utterly dominate this sport. He comes out of nowhere, immediately starts whipping top-ranked fighters with years’ more experience, and leaves both fans and his opponents in awe of his abilities. Jon Jones is that guy right now. And nobody knows how fleeting that moment is better than Lyoto Machida, whose invincible aura (and “era“) went up in smoke as quickly as it arrived.
That’s what gives Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida such a great storyline for their meeting on December 10th in Toronto. Besides Machida’s unorthodox style, which could be an effective counter to Bones’s own funky attacks, the Dragon stands as a living reminder that nobody is invincible — seriously, not even Jon Jones — and defeat is simply a matter of running into the wrong guy on the wrong night.
Supporting the light-heavyweight title fight at UFC 140 are two matches featuring former UFC champions from America (Frank Mir and Tito Ortiz) trying to hold the line against a pair of battle-weathered Brazilian twins who made their names halfway around the world. It’ll be the second meeting between Mir and Minotauro, and aside from the struggling Lil’ Nog, the other three fighters have shown brief flashes in recent fights that their glory days might not be over yet. So who will add another highlight to their legendary resumes, and who will continue to fade back into history?
Semi-related, below: Jon Jones gets in some cross-gender sparring with Team Jackson camp-mate Holly Holm, the prettier half of the third toughest couple in MMA.
Lyoto Machida is in the final stages of his training camp as he prepares to challenge for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 140. Among the additions to his camp was boxing coach Luiz Dorea, renowned for assisting fellow Brazilian’s like Junio…
Lyoto Machida is in the final stages of his training camp as he prepares to challenge for the UFC light heavyweight title at UFC 140.
Among the additions to his camp was boxing coach Luiz Dorea, renowned for assisting fellow Brazilian’s like Junior dos Santos and Anderson Silva.
Upon making the trip to Machida’s hometown of Belem, Para, Dorea said he has seen a progression in the Brazilian’s striking skills, comparing it to some of the best names in boxing history.
“I have great Boxing experience and it’s hard to see a heavyweight fighter who moves and does what he does,” Dorea told TATAME.com. “There are few: Anderson, Dos Santos, Cassius Clay (Muhammad Ali), Roy Jones Jr.”
“The Dragon” possesses one of the most complex and diverse styles in mixed martial arts, becoming educated and disciplined in Shotokan Karate at a young age taught by his father, Yoshizo.
Since his UFC debut in 2007, Machida has practiced and implemented other disciplines and styles into his arsenal, including Muay Thai, Judo and Sumo, and has rounded out his skills to become one of the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
His recent training camp gives evidence that Machida continues to evolve and work hard in order to emerge as the best light heavyweight in the world. And having experienced the camp for himself, Dorea is convinced that Machida will reclaim the light heavyweight crown on December 10.
“I trust Lyoto, I believe we’ll bring the fourth title to Brazil,” he said.
Jon “Bones” Jones heads into UFC 140 with the awareness that Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida will be his sternest test to date. Unlike Ryan “Darth” Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Machida poses the most threat to his reign as UFC…
Jon “Bones” Jones heads into UFC 140 with the awareness that Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida will be his sternest test to date. Unlike Ryan “Darth” Bader, Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Machida poses the most threat to his reign as UFC light-heavyweight champion.
At UFC 140, Jones will come face to face with a man on a mission, a man hell bent on redemption and a man who’s been handed an unlikely opportunity to once again hold aloft the gold that was ripped from his grasp by Shogun more than 18 months ago.
Machida (17-2) has the dynamic karate skills, punching power and elusiveness to upend the young phenom, and he’ll attempt to use those tools come fight night.
On the other hand, Jones (14-1), who’s making his second defense of the title, will want to end the year with the UFC gold still strapped around his waist.
Needless to say, he’ll have his work cut out for him if he’s to achieve that goal.
So what are the keys to ensure that the reigning light-heavy king remains just that, at UFC 140?
Filed under: UFC, Rankings, Light HeavyweightsOther than Jon Jones, no light heavyweight in mixed martial arts has been more impressive than Dan Henderson in the last 12 months.
Henderson brutally knocked out Renato “Babalu” Sobral in December, won th…
Other than Jon Jones, no light heavyweight in mixed martial arts has been more impressive than Dan Henderson in the last 12 months.
Henderson brutally knocked out Renato “Babalu” Sobral in December, won the Strikeforce light heavyweight title with a TKO over Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante in March, took another TKO victory over Fedor Emelianenko in July as a light heavyweight fighting against a heavyweight, and then beat Shogun Rua in an all-time classic at UFC 139.
So where does that put Henderson? He’s certainly in our light heavyweight Top 5, but it’s still tough to justify Henderson going higher than fifth. Henderson did, after all, lose to Rampage Jackson, who lost to Rashad Evans, who lost to Lyoto Machida (who also lost to Rampage). The light heavyweight division has been so competitive for so long, with so many of the top fighters picking each other off, that after Jones, any of the next five guys could easily be put in any order. My order is below.
1. Jon Jones (1): The light heavyweight champion has easily separated himself from the pack, with two dominant wins over two other Top 10 light heavyweights, Shogun Rua and Rampage Jackson. Jones will try to make it three dominant wins over three other Top 10 light heavyweights when he takes on Lyoto Machida on December 10 at UFC 140.
2. Rashad Evans (2): Evans is a tough one to rank because he’s been so inactive of late: He’s only fought three times in the last two and a half years. But he’s been impressive in all three of those fights, beating Tito Ortiz, Rampage Jackson and Thiago Silva, and he has earned the light heavyweight title shot that he’ll supposedly get whenever he and Jones are healthy and able to fight at the same time.
3. Lyoto Machida (4): Machida is a tough one to rank: Should he be below Evans, even though he brutally beat Evans? Should he be above Rampage and Shogun, even though both of them beat him? There’s really no fair way to rank them, since Evans, Machida and Jackson all went 1-1 in their fights against each other. Machida will get a chance to show where he belongs in the light heavyweight division when he takes on Jones.
4. Rampage Jackson (5): Jackson has fought all the best of the best in the light heavyweight division, beating Machida and Henderson in the UFC, and losing to Jones, Evans and Forrest Griffin in the UFC and Shogun in Pride. It’s impossible not to put Rampage behind someone he’s beaten and above someone he’s lost to, but given the totality of his career No. 4 sounds about right.
5. Dan Henderson (6): As great as Henderson has looked in the last year, I can’t rank him ahead of Rampage, given what happened when Rampage and Henderson fought. I’d sure love to see a rematch of that one, though.
6. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (3): Shogun is only 2-3 in his last five fights, but it’s about as impressive a 2-3 record as a light heavyweight could possibly have: The two wins were brutal first-round knockouts of Machida and Griffin, while the three losses were close decisions against Machida and Henderson, and a loss to Jones in which he admittedly looked bad — but then again Jones makes everyone look bad.
7. Forrest Griffin (7): The biggest question about Griffin is whether, at age 32 and having a wife and kid, he’s still interested in completely committing himself to MMA. When Griffin is on, he’s good enough to beat high-quality opponents like Rich Franklin, Rampage and Shogun. He looked decidedly off in his rematch loss to Shogun in August, however.
8. Rafael Cavalcante (8): Feijao bounced back from his loss to Henderson and beat Yoel Romero Palacio in September, and now would be a good time to see him in the UFC, where there are a lot more good fights for him.
9. Phil Davis (9): The 9-0 Davis was pulled from a fight with Evans in August because of a knee injury, and there’s still no word on when he’ll be ready to return. A former NCAA wrestling champion, Davis is one of the most talented athletes in the light heavyweight division, and he’ll be fighting for the belt eventually.
10. Thiago Silva (10): I’ve been waiting for someone to step up and take the bottom spot in the Top 10 from Silva, who’s been suspended all year for taking performance-enhancing drugs. But no one has really been able to do that, and so Silva stays. He should return early in 2012.
As Jon Jones prepares to make his second title defense at UFC 140, perhaps no opponent poses a greater threat stylistically than Lyoto Machida. And Jones’ head trainer Greg Jackson is well aware of what Jones’ challenger is capable of. Jackso…
As Jon Jones prepares to make his second title defense at UFC 140, perhaps no opponent poses a greater threat stylistically than Lyoto Machida.
And Jones’ head trainer Greg Jackson is well aware of what Jones’ challenger is capable of.
Jackson made an appearance on Sherdog Radio to break down the upcoming title bout and praised Machida’s skills and abilities, expecting the Brazilian to be the champion’s toughest test to date.
“He’s also a very creative fighter. He’s very quick on the in and out. He’s going to try to get past Jon’s length, I’m sure, with his jumping in and jumping out style and moving side to side,” Jackson said.
Jackson shares some history with “The Dragon,” as Machida defeated former Team Jackson pupil Rashad Evans for the light heavyweight title at UFC 98 in 2009. Machida’s title reign was short-lived however, and has gone 2-2 in his past four bouts.
Coincidentally, it was Evans who was originally expected to face Jones, but a hand injury prevented him from competing against Jones, granting the Brazilian to step in and compete for a title shot once again.
While there are some who disagree the decision, Jackson is surely not taking the former UFC light heavyweight champion lightly and fully expects to see an in-form, competitive opponent in Machida come December 10.
“I fully expect us to fight the best Machida that has ever fought, and hopefully we’ll be able to get around that and those problems.”
We are just a few weeks away from UFC 140, where Jon Jones will take on Lyoto Machida to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship for a second time. This match up is a very interesting one. While Jones is explosive and flashy, Machida is rese…
We are just a few weeks away from UFC 140, where Jon Jones will take on Lyoto Machida to defend his UFC light heavyweight championship for a second time.
This match up is a very interesting one. While Jones is explosive and flashy, Machida is reserved and elusive. Machida’s style is a difficult style to figure out, and for this camp he has brought in former Strikeforce light heavyweight champion “King” Mo Lawal.
Mo is an outstanding wrestler, has much-improved striking and is a great person to add to Machida’s camp for this fight.
Machida has added 20 pounds of muscle, and physically looks totally different. A photo was released once Lawal had arrived in Brazil, and Machida looks bigger. You can view the photo by clicking here.
In Machida’s last fight, he scored a fantastic knockout over MMA legend Randy Couture at UFC 129, and afterwards had a little disagreement with the UFC, and while originally expected to face Phil Davis, will now face the champion due to Rashad Evans being injured.
It is not fair to count a fighter out before their fight has even taken place, and this is a fight that appears is being overlooked, even though it is truly a tough stylistic match up for Jones.
This is a huge opportunity for Machida. This is a fight where he cannot afford any errors. If he is going to win this fight, he must keep his distance, and choose his moves wisely.
Jones hasn’t been tested in very deep water’s yet, and he was possibly gassed in the Shogun fight. If Machida can fight his fight, then he has a better chance of winning than many spectators are giving him.
Other than 