UFC 175 hits Las Vegas on Saturday with two championship fights.
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman defends his title for the second time in his career, and it will be Lyoto Machida challenging him in the main event.
In the co-main event, Ronda Ro…
UFC 175 hits Las Vegas on Saturday with two championship fights.
UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman defends his title for the second time in his career, and it will be Lyoto Machida challenging him in the main event.
In the co-main event, Ronda Rousey defends her bantamweight crown against jiu-jitsu ace Alexis Davis.
Who should you put a little money on? This article is here to help you make a more informed decision by laying out the pre-fight odds for you. It will help you identify the value on the main card of UFC 175. A well-informed bettor has a better chance of beating the odds.
With that said, onward to the main card odds and predictions for UFC 175.
(Glad to see the UFC fired the “Step Into Our World” guy and hired a graphic designer who doesn’t work in crayon.)
On the heels of their worst performing pay-per-view in years (allegedly), it would be almost impossible to deny that the UFC is in dire need of a fresh, unique strategy to market UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida. Fights themselves just don’t sell anymore, and even though the card is relatively stacked by today’s incredibly low standards, there ain’t no way it’s selling more than 350k buys without some sort of THE SOLDIER vs. THE COLOSSUS-level advertising.
But being the trailblazers that they are, the UFC has actually forgone the cheap appeal to our love of freakshow fights and/or squash matches in regards to UFC 175 and opted for a different angle entirely: Not promoting it at all.
It’s an…interesting move on the UFC’s part, but one that hasn’t exactly given us much to write about (hence, #WeekofDanga). So in order to do the UFC’s job for them and get you hyped for what should be a hell of a fight between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, we’ve scoured the internet (BloodyElbow) and found you a rare video of Weidman’s upset victory over fellow UFC star Ryan Bader in the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships quarterfinals. Check it out after the jump.
(Glad to see the UFC fired the “Step Into Our World” guy and hired a graphic designer who doesn’t work in crayon.)
On the heels of their worst performing pay-per-view in years (allegedly), it would be almost impossible to deny that the UFC is in dire need of a fresh, unique strategy to market UFC 175: Weidman vs. Machida. Fights themselves just don’t sell anymore, and even though the card is relatively stacked by today’s incredibly low standards, there ain’t no way it’s selling more than 350k buys without some sort of THE SOLDIER vs. THE COLOSSUS-level advertising.
But being the trailblazers that they are, the UFC has actually forgone the cheap appeal to our love of freakshow fights and/or squash matches in regards to UFC 175 and opted for a different angle entirely: Not promoting it at all.
It’s an…interesting move on the UFC’s part, but one that hasn’t exactly given us much to write about (hence, #WeekofDanga). So in order to do the UFC’s job for them and get you hyped for what should be a hell of a fight between Chris Weidman and Lyoto Machida, we’ve scoured the internet (BloodyElbow) and found you a rare video of Weidman’s upset victory over fellow UFC star Ryan Bader in the 2006 NCAA Wrestling Championships quarterfinals. Check it out after the jump.
Fun fact: Lyoto Machida has yet to be taken down since dropping to middleweight. According to his UFC profile, he also holds one of the highest takedown defense ratios in the UFC at 83%. Probably because most fighters take one whiff of his piss breath and decide that they’d rather get knocked out while fighting at range than spend another second dealing with such a foul odor in close quarters. Seriously, I imagine that this is pretty much how every car ride with Lyoto goes if the windows are up…
The clip went on a little long, but you get what I mean.
As far as main events go, you’re not going to find many better than Chris Weidman vs. Lyoto Machida.
The middleweight title fight headlines this Saturday’s UFC 175 event in Las Vegas. It is a sublime stylistic matchup featuring two of the best fighters…
As far as main events go, you’re not going to find many better than Chris Weidman vs. LyotoMachida.
The middleweight title fight headlines this Saturday’s UFC 175 event in Las Vegas. It is a sublime stylistic matchup featuring two of the best fighters in the world, both of whom have drastically different approaches to combat in the Octagon. Weidman‘s game is centered around his wrestling and grappling; Machida relies on distance and counter-striking, and both men are capable of pulling a finish out of nowhere.
It’s the kind of fight true mixed martial arts fans crave. But it’s flying under the radar, and I can’t quite explain why.
The lack of attention focused on the main event is probably due, at least in part, to the presence of Ronda Rousey in the co-main event. She is likely MMA‘s biggest star, and she draws the lion’s share of attention. During Monday’s media call to promote the event, most of the questions were pointed at Rousey and opponent Alexis Davis. Weidman, the middleweight champion who twice defeated the legendary Anderson Silva, was relegated to the sidelines, fielding just one question during the 35-minute call.
Is it because fans don’t take Weidman seriously? Are we discounting his wins over Silva because of the bizarre circumstances surrounding both finishes? Hasn’t he done enough to calm the critics who say he didn’t actually beat Silva?
“I think everybody always going to have critics out there. And it’s not really one of my motivating factors to silence those critics because they’re always going to be there,” Weidman said. “So that’s not really one of the big things in my mind.”
The lack of attention could also be blamed on promotion. Weidman and Machida are accomplished fighters, but neither are gold on the microphone. They prefer to do their talking in the Octagon. That’s all well and good, but the biggest UFC main events are usually reserved for those willing to talk up their opponent and play up some sort of rivalry, even if it is a contrived one.
This is not to say that Weidman and Machida should adopt pro wrestling personas and begin cutting Steve Austin-style promos. They are who they are, and they are not likely to change for anyone.
“I’m always trying to sell the fight in a different way. I’m trying to sell the fight with the way that I’m fighting in the Octagon,” Machida said. “And I don’t want to be the guy that’s offending my opponent before the fight.”
You can’t blame Machida for his approach. If he prefers to be remembered for what he does inside the Octagon and not what he says outside of it, well, so be it. And you can’t blame Weidman for not caring about those who don’t believe he ever beat Silva in the first place. He does have the gold, after all, and that’s the only thing that counts.
But it seems almost criminal that a fight of this caliber isn’t getting the kind of attention it deserves. The UFC’s promotion of the fight has been a fraction of what they usually run. We haven’t been bombarded with commercials featuring Weidman and Machida. We’re four days away from one of the best fights of the year, and I’d wager many casual fans have no idea that it’s even happening.
That’s a shame. Weidman and Machida aren’t boring. They are explosive, excellent middleweights who present very real threats to each other. Weidman is a moderate betting favorite, but would anybody be surprised to see Machida walk away with the belt?
It is an excellent main event. It’s too bad that the promotion for the event has been non-existent; it’s the kind of fight that might help create new fans, but only if they see it.
At this point, it’s one of our sport’s most persistent jokes.
Five years after the UFC broadcast team prematurely bellowed the dawn of a new day in the light heavyweight division, the “Lyoto Machida Era” has become the “Rickson …
At this point, it’s one of our sport’s most persistent jokes.
Five years after the UFC broadcast team prematurely bellowed the dawn of a new day in the light heavyweight division, the “LyotoMachida Era” has become the “Rickson by armbar” of squandered potential.
When Machida meets Chris Weidman on Saturday at UFC 175, it may not only represent his last opportunity to recapture a world title but also his final chance to avoid going down as the butt of one of MMA’s cruelest memes.
In other words, this is likely Machida’s sole remaining shot at finally becoming the man he was always supposed to be.
In retrospect, it was terribly unfair—but understandable—to anoint the 31-year-old Brazilian karate master the future of the 205-pound division when he posterizedRashad Evans at UFC 98. It had been just over two years since Chuck Liddell’s dominant run ended, and the UFC’s glamour division was desperate for a new hero.
At 15-0 and coming off stoppages in three of his last four performances, The Dragon appeared to fit the bill. He’d achieved near mythic status on Internet message boards before even arriving in the Octagon, putting together wins over UFC mainstays Stephan Bonnar, BJ Penn and Rich Franklin in Japan. By the time he finally parted ways with legendary promoter Antonio Inoki and made his way stateside, he was a star waiting to happen.
Seven straight wins to begin his UFC career—capped by that championship victory over Evans—was all the confirmation we (and his bosses) needed. After four title changes from May 2007 to May 2009 he was the odds-on favorite to bring stability back to the grand old 205-pound ranks.
But we all know how that turned out. About as well as the time the NBA cast Penny Hardaway as its new Michael Jordan.
The Machida Era fizzled after just one successful (but iffy) title defense against Shogun Rua at UFC 104. A knockout loss to Rua in their rematch six months later began a tumultuous period that saw Machida go 3-3 during his next six fights.
His flash-in-the-pan title reign and regression into the pack of light heavyweight also-rans hardly made him unique. A herd of other 205-pounder hopefuls—including Rua, Evans, Forrest Griffin and Quinton Jackson—all proved just as incapable of becoming the new Liddell. Machida was no more or less a failure than any of them, and with the benefit of hindsight, we now recognize they were all just keeping the seat warm for Jon Jones, anyway.
Under different circumstances, Machida’s fumbling of the 205-pound championship might not have been seen as so debilitating. Heck, to simply be included on the honor roll of UFC titlists would be good enough for most guys. But for Machida, more was expected.
When you go ahead and name a whole era after a guy and then he botches it? That’s going to stick with him. It’s going to follow him through his entire career, unless he can somehow do it one better.
Not that the typically enigmatic fighter would ever let on that he’s worried about something as trivial as his own place in history as he prepares to face Weidman.
“I don’t think about that too much,” Machida told MMA Fighting.com’s Dave Doyle this week. “I don’t think about the result. I think about what I have to do. Focus on the objective and go out there and win that title.”
It’s been so far, so good for him at 185 pounds. The suddenly re-energized 36-year-old toppled Mark Munoz with a first-round high kick last October and breezed through a five-round unanimous decision over GegardMousasi in February. He was always a small-ish light heavyweight, and the cut to middleweight appears to have only helped his natural speed, elusiveness and power. When VitorBelfortpulled out of his scheduled bout with Weidman at UFC 173, Machida was the no-brainer replacement.
It’s odd to think that after six years and one failed legacy in the UFC this fight amounts to a complete wild card for Machida. We still don’t really know how good he can be at middleweight. He’ll go off as the underdog on Saturday night, but that feels more like an educated guess than a real prediction of the outcome.
It remains to be seen if his frustrating, hunt-and-peck striking style will be the antidote to Weidman’s straight-ahead power and wrestling. Machida could fall short, just as he did in previous title fights against Rua and later against Jones. But if he goes out and dances away Weidman’s championship—or just KOs him, a la Munoz—nobody will be that surprised.
It would make him just the third fighter in UFC history to claim a title in two different weight classes. Perhaps the most shocking thing about it, though, would be that it would grant him a bit of late-career redemption in a sport not known for getting more forgiving the older you get.
It could save him from being remembered as the guy who was supposed to be great, but then wasn’t.
This time, though, maybe we could hold off on proclaiming it the second Machida Era.
At UFC 175, No. 3 middleweight contender Lyoto Machida will attempt to strip the championship title away from the division’s reigning champion, Chris Weidman. With the win, the Brazilian would set himself up to become the third mixed martial…
At UFC 175, No. 3 middleweight contender LyotoMachida will attempt to strip the championship title away from the division’s reigning champion, Chris Weidman. With the win, the Brazilian would set himself up to become the third mixed martial artist in UFC history to acquire a belt from two separate divisions. However, Machida’s opportunity to wrest the title away from Weidman does not come without its own set of challenges.
Weidman is a NCAA Division I All-American wrestler who has transitioned well into the world of MMA. He is currently undefeated and is a well-rounded fighter. Five of his 11 wins have come by knockout. Some of his victims include Mark Munoz, Uriah Hall and the man who many believe to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, Anderson Silva.
However, heading into UFC 175, Machidaisn’t greatly concerned with Weidman’s accolades. According to Dave Dolye of MMA Fighting, the Brazilian stated:
Chris Weidman is a tough guy, he’s well rounded. He’s known for being a wrestler, he’s very good on the ground, he can knock people out standing up. But I’m not too worried about Chris Weidman‘s strong points. I’m focused on what I do well and that’s what I’ll focus on when I’m in the Octagon.
Machida, who now finds himself reinvigorated and undefeated at middleweight, is a former light heavyweight champion himself. He sports a respectable 21-4 record, and is known for outpointing his foes by employing tremendous footwork and an elusive fighting style to secure many of his wins. In fact, due to the latter, 11 of the former champion’s victories have come by way of decision.
Nevertheless, the great counter striker that is Machida has knocked out a barrage of top-level fighters as well. They include, but are not limited to Mark Munoz, Ryan Bader, Thiago Silva and three former world champions in Randy Couture, Rashad Evans and Rich Franklin.
Even though Machida is faced with the opportunity to become the third fighter in the UFC’s history to attain a championship title from two different weight classes (Randy Couture and B.J. Penn are the other two), the Dragon is currently more focused on his victory this Saturday night. In an interview with BasRutten on Inside MMA, Machida stated:
I just put my focus on my fight, on my technique. For sure, I want to be the third guy with two belts in different class [sic], but my focus is on different things now…
…I can beat him (Weidman) 100 percent.
On July 5, Machida will attempt to become immortalized in the annals of mixed martial arts history by defeating Weidman and securing his second championship title. A victory would not only leave him hall-of-fame bound, it would all but solidify him as one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time.
With his first anniversary as UFC middleweight champion approaching, it sounds as though Chris Weidman has made peace with never getting the credit he deserves.
It’s hard to believe anyone would doubt him leading up to his UFC 175 showdown with L…
With his first anniversary as UFC middleweight champion approaching, it sounds as though Chris Weidman has made peace with never getting the credit he deserves.
It’s hard to believe anyone would doubt him leading up to his UFC 175 showdown with Lyoto Machida—a fight exactly 364 days removed from the first time Weidman toppled Anderson Silva and took a hammer to our delicate sensibilities—yet some fans remain unimpressed.
There was enough weirdness during his two 2013 victories over Silva that those people looking for a reason not to invest in Weidman haven’t. In certain circles, the “fluke” tag still lingers around him like the scent of bad cologne in a New Jersey nightclub.
Surely, though, if the 30-year-old titleholder stomps past Machida in impressive fashion on Saturday, his detractors will start cutting him some slack. Right?
Actually, Weidman expects not but contends it doesn’t bother him either way.
“One thing I’ve kind of realized is no matter how many times I win, stay undefeated or who I beat, I’m always going to have critics and doubters out there,” he recently told CBS Radio’s The Morning Show. “So, my ultimate motivating factor can’t be to prove those guys wrong, because they’ll never (quit).”
This is a classically Weidman way of looking at things. While dispatching an increasingly difficult gauntlet of opponents during his undefeated three-year run in the Octagon, he’s made a practice of not sweating the small stuff.
Or, for that matter, seeming to think about too much at all besides the task at hand.
Now 7-0 in the UFC, with five stoppage wins and consecutive victories over the greatest fighter of all time, it’s impossible to find much to criticize. So why have some been so slow to embrace him?
Some of it must be personality. The guy’s not exactly a media dynamo. He’s not going to light your interview segment on fire or give you the sort of glib sound bites that make headlines sing. Regarding his character, he’s not going to give you much at all.
But inside the cage, he’s been a bit of a revelation. Though he still lacks some experience (at just 11-0 overall), his athleticism and well-rounded skills are undeniable. Weidman may be the ideal wrestler for the 21st century MMA world, possessing a potent submission arsenal and competent ground-and-pound to go along with his slick takedowns. As his 73 percent career finishing rate attests, he doesn’t want to just drag his foes into his domain but stop them once they get there.
His coaches at the Serra/Longo fight team told us he was going to be UFC champion before he even set foot in the organization. Still, a lot of people didn’t buy it last July, when he became the first man to capitalize on Silva’s taunting-as-psychological-warfare strategy, knocking the previously unassailable champion out in the second round.
Excuses were made, op-eds written and a hasty rematch scheduled for five-and-a-half months later at UFC 168. Again Weidman encountered a lot of snickering and sideways glances, but this time he crafted an even more haunting victory. After dominating the first round, he checked a low kick early in the second that caused Silva to suffer a gruesome broken leg.
That rematch topped one million pay-per-view buys, but in its aftermath, the story was Silva’s injury, not Weidman’s success. Fans who’d been unwilling to give him his due after UFC 162 still appeared reluctant, though Silva’s long recovery and Weidman’s back-to-back victories quelled any serious calls for a third fight.
Even now, you don’t have to turn over too many rocks to find people who’ll tell you he got lucky in both bouts. Weidman may be the champion, but there remains a segment of the fight-savvy public that believes he still needs to prove himself.
To that end, Machida could fit the bill perfectly.
The former light heavyweight champion was once regarded among the top pound-for-pound fighters in the world. His career at 205 pounds evaporated after a short run with the title back in 2009—and along with it, much of the cachet he enjoyed as arguably the Octagon’s most difficult riddle.
Since dropping to middleweight last year, however, the old magic has been back for Machida. He’s strolled through wins over Mark Munoz and Gegard Mousasi and provided a controversy-free replacement as No. 1 contender when Vitor Belfort once again got crosswise with the rules.
Exactly how good The Dragon can be at this weight is still something of a mystery headed into UFC 175, though Weidman will be a 2-1 favorite, according to BestFightOdds.com. One of the champ’s principal trainers recently told Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour he expects nothing but more classic Weidman.
“I think Weidman is going to do what he always does,” striking coach Ray Longo said. “He’s going to get in that ring, he’s going to go forward, and he’s going to impose his will on Machida. He’s going to make Machida fight his game, and he’s probably just going to end up crushing the guy.”
Perhaps this sounds like a strange thing to say about a guy who already has the belt, but the mere fact many people still doubt him means this will be a big win for Weidman.
If he can stop Machida from dancing circles around him, then the whispers about chance knockouts and freak injuries must necessarily fall away. There simply won’t be much left for his critics to pick on anymore, at least not as it relates to his bell-to-bell performances.
Weidman will never light up the media like peers Jon Jones or Ronda Rousey, and it’s a long shot that he’ll enjoy the longevity of a Silva or Georges St-Pierre.
Make no mistake, though: Luck has had nothing to do with his success.
Because he’s apparently been granted the serenity to accept the things he cannot change, Weidman says he doesn’t care that some fans may never recognize him as the No. 1 middleweight on the planet and that his wins over Silva might always be shortchanged as flukes.
If he adds another stoppage win over Machida, however, here’s hoping the rest of us have the wisdom to know the difference.
As far as main events go, you’re not going to find many better than Chris 