First impressions are crucial, and Lyoto Machida made the most of his middleweight debut at Fight Night 30.
The former light heavyweight champion scored an impressive first-round knockout over resilient opponent Mark Munoz on Saturday night in Manchest…
First impressions are crucial, and LyotoMachida made the most of his middleweight debut at Fight Night 30.
The former light heavyweight champion scored an impressive first-round knockout over resilient opponent Mark Munoz on Saturday night in Manchester, England. Although “The Dragon” is notorious for getting out to slow starts, he bucked that trend against Munoz as he walked down the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” from the get-go.
After landing several kicks to the body, the 35-year-old Brazilian went upstairs and uncorked a powerful kick that put Munoz on his back and ended the fight. While the quick finish didn’t provide much time to see the full range of Machida‘s skills as a middleweight, it was enough time to see he is going to be a serious threat for the 185-pound title.
While many believe he should have been competing at 185 for years, his close relationship with recently dethroned middleweight king Anderson Silva prevented him from dropping down a weight class. But with “The Spider” losing his title to Chris Weidman at UFC 162 in July and being the subject of retirement talk, Machida appears to be changing his mind on making a title run at middleweight.
Although he has shrugged off the idea of a potential clash with Silva in past interviews, the Brazilian karate master knows that committing to a run at the 185-pound strap could mean facing his friend and teammate. The former 205-pound titleholder spoke to Gareth Davies on the post-fight show that aired on Fox Sports 2, addressing the issue of potentially fighting Silva.
Yes, for sure if it was for the title. I said I want that belt, and I want the belt then I have to chase the belt. But I don’t know who I want to fight next. It’s very hard to say but I want to be the champion for sure. I want the belt. I just put everything in Dana White‘s hands. Even if he asks me to fight at 205 again I can do that.
With the Silva vs. Weidman rematch set for UFC 168 on Dec. 28, there is a lot of time to see how things will play out. Even with his impressive victory over Munoz, Machida‘s place on the title radar is far from concrete. He could be tapped to go in a number of directions, as other top-ranked fighters’ schedules will open up over the next few months.
One potential opponent who would make a tremendous amount of sense in the divisional picture is Michael Bisping. “The Count” was originally slated to face Munoz at Fight Night 30 until an eye injury forced him out of action. Machida was tapped to take his place.
The UFC is scheduled to return to the U.K. in March 2014, and if Bisping is healthy enough to make the card, Machida would be excited to welcome him back to action.
“Yes, that is a great matchup,” Machida answered when asked about fighting Bisping. “That is a great fight for me. If Bisping accepts that fight it would be great…especially in Manchester.”
Duane Finley is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless noted otherwise.
On UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester, England on Saturday, Lyoto Machida took down Mark Munoz with a vicious head kick for a knockout victory. With the win, he moved to 20-4-0 and rebounded from a controversial loss to Phil Davis.
More importantly, “The…
On UFC Fight Night 30 in Manchester, England on Saturday, LyotoMachida took down Mark Munoz with a vicious head kick for a knockout victory. With the win, he moved to 20-4-0 and rebounded from a controversial loss to Phil Davis.
More importantly, “The Dragon” entered the middleweight title picture with a win in his first fight at 185 lbs.
He made the move from light heavyweight to middleweight for this fight, taking on a game opponent in Munoz. Just one round in, The Dragon connected with a brutal kick to the head and walked away with a knockout victory.
Machida didn’t lay another strike upon his opponent and ended the bout with class.
It was a pleasant ending to a brutal fight.
In a division that’s ruled by champion Chris Weidman and the legendary Anderson Silva, Machida has some work to do. With three wins in his past four fights, however, The Dragon has enough momentum to become a contender.
Keep in mind that the general consensus was that the judges robbed him against Davis.
Four Straight Strong Performances
For those unfamiliar with him, Machida is a former UFC light heavyweight champion. As previously alluded to, he lost his final fight at 205 lbs to Davis in controversial fashion.
This spurned a series of angry tweets from UFC president Dana White, who claimed that the judges got the decision wrong.
In Machida‘s middleweight debut, he didn’t leave it up to the judges. In response, White had a more pleasant tweet.
One minute and 44 seconds into the fight, Machida made himself at home in his new division.
His victories at light heavyweight may not matter to middleweight pundits, but they are significant. He defeated three quality opponents, and when it was all said and done, he re-established his status as a lethal finisher.
He earned knockout victories over Ryan Bader in August 2012 and Munoz at UFC Fight Night 30 on Saturday. He also took a split-decision win over Dan Henderson in February 2013, giving him a recent signature victory.
If the UFC president said that The Dragon should have won the one fight he lost during that stretch, it’s clear that Machida is in championship-caliber form.
Potential Opponents
Before Machida receives an opportunity to face Silva or Weidman for the UFC Middleweight Championship, he’ll likely receive what would equate to a No. 1 contender’s fight. Notable possible opponents include VitorBelfort and Ronaldo Souza, who rank No. 2 and No. 3, respectively, in the division rankings, per UFC.com.
Both fighters would make for headline-stealing opponents.
Belfort will face Dan Henderson on Nov. 9, 2013, while Souza is coming off a TKO victory over YushinOkami. Both fighters are in position to battle Machida, as is Henderson, and all of those fights would be main event-caliber bouts.
One way or another, The Dragon deserves the opportunity to fight for a title shot.
Due to his name value, he might face the winner of Weidman vs. Silva. It would be better for him to get more accustomed to fighting at middleweight first, but he has done enough in his UFC career to warrant immediate title consideration.
With his knockout win over Munoz, Machida has officially resumed his career as a championship contender.
On Saturday, UFC Fight Night 30 was different.
All of it.
Maybe it was the afternoon fight card for North American viewers or the naturally raucous sounds of a Manchester, England crowd making things a little more boisterous than usual.
Perhaps it was …
On Saturday, UFC Fight Night 30 was different.
All of it.
Maybe it was the afternoon fight card for North American viewers or the naturally raucous sounds of a Manchester, England crowd making things a little more boisterous than usual.
Perhaps it was the new entrance music or the leaner, fitter version of LyotoMachida that stepped into the checkpoint next to the Octagon.
But it was definitely different, and it took less than two minutes for everyone to see just how different.
Machida, moving as swiftly and sharply as he ever has, used his offense sparingly in an effort to gauge his pal-turned-opponent Mark Munoz and his movements around the cage. A few body kicks to get his distance, a few neatly cut angles, and that was it.
The former light heavyweight champion, who was considered unbeatable as recently as 2009, flicked a quick head kick and caught his man flush, securing a successful middleweight debut in the process.
For a guy whom people often complain about for being boring, the finish marked his third such spectacular (T)KO in his past four wins. At 205 lbs, Machida decimated Randy Couture with a crane kick and Ryan Bader with the stiffest of left hands. The Munoz KO marked the eighth of his career.
He’s only 4-4 since a 16-0 run started his career, but losses to Phil Davis and Rampage Jackson were anywhere from questionable to insane depending on whom you ask, and there’s no shame in losing to Jon Jones. It’s plausible for us to live in a world where Machida is leaving England 22-2, with his only losses coming in title fights.
Yes, he’s tactical, and no, he’s not going to chase guys in hopes of a highlight-reel finish. But if you give him a chance, he’ll give you one anyway using his own methods.
Now at middleweight—the class that many felt he should have been occupying all along—Machida has the chance to end his career on the highest of notes.
Win or lose at UFC 168 in his title rematch against Chris Weidman, friend and training partner Anderson Silva isn’t going to be around forever.
If Weidman wins that fight, Machida might be the toughest test for the young (would-be) champion, given his blend of technique, focus and patience and need for only a single shot to end a fight.
He actually may be more dangerous than Silva.
With that reality in place and the fact that he obliterated one of the best guys in the world without breaking a sweat at UFC Fight Night 30, this new Machida has plenty of avenues to take.
Top contenders like Michael Bisping or VitorBelfort could work, as could others in the Top 10 like Luke Rockhold or Costa Philippou, if the UFC wants to build Machida more slowly.
But make no mistake, this new Machida is different. This is Machida 2.0, and he proved on Saturday that he’s an immediate title contender at 185.
UFC Fight Night 30 came to you on a Saturday afternoon, and the 12-fight card delivered a wealth of action.
Lyoto Machida destroyed No. 5-ranked middleweight Mark Munoz in the main event. The fight lasted only 3:10, but it was enough for Machida to sho…
UFC Fight Night 30 came to you on a Saturday afternoon, and the 12-fight card delivered a wealth of action.
LyotoMachida destroyed No. 5-ranked middleweight Mark Munoz in the main event. The fight lasted only 3:10, but it was enough for Machida to show his absolute dominance over his good friend and training partner. Now the UFC has a lot of decision making to do in the middleweight division.
The event had its positives and negatives, but ultimately it was a solid Fight Night card. Several ranked fighters filled out the card, and others made their case for bigger fights in their next outings with impressive performances.
Manchester is now in the past, and the UFC turns to their next Fight for the Troops card next.
Let’s take a look at the post-fight stock report following the latest offering from the UFC.
The main talking point in the MMA community going into Fight Night 30 was the fact that Lyoto Machida, former light heavyweight champion, was heading to middleweight to fight friend and occasional training partner Mark Munoz in an intriguing bout in En…
The main talking point in the MMA community going into Fight Night 30 was the fact that Lyoto Machida, former light heavyweight champion, was heading to middleweight to fight friend and occasional training partner Mark Munoz in an intriguing bout in England.
The fight didn’t disappoint on Saturday. Machida showed the world exactly what to expect from him at 185 lbs going forward and allowed us all to learn a few things.
What We’ll Remember About This Fight
Everything that’s great about this sport.
Machida, the elite karateka, finished Munoz with a lightning-fast head kick that was the first real shot he landed in the fight. Obviously, that’s awesome.
With Munoz out cold, the former champion elected not to follow up with blows on the ground, sparing his buddy unnecessary punishment. It reminded us all just how great it can be to see sportsmanship in a sport that is all about damaging another man to the point that he can’t keep going.
We also learned that his power, founded on flawless technique, is going to follow him to 185 lbs. Considering just how good he was at light heavyweight, a smaller, faster and sleeker Machida with the same degree of power could easily romp to a title shot within a year.
He has also probably peaked in terms of his ranking. Being 35 years old and losing two of the last three to elite competition aren’t signs of a fighter going in the right direction.
What’s Next for Machida
He should face a star at the top of the heap. It makes a lot of sense to pit him against Michael Bisping, given that Machida replaced the Brit at UFC Fight Night 30. Nobody would complain about a meeting with Vitor Belfort, if he should decide to return to middleweight once he fights Dan Henderson on November 9.
What’s Next for Munoz
He should meet someone good but not great, perhaps a lower-tier Top 10 guy. He could be a good test for Francis Carmont or a solid option for Luke Rockhold when he returns from injury.
(An elusive striker who throws punches like they cost him money vs. a former All-American wrestler. Yeah, baby. This is the matchup the Brits have been *begging* for. / Photo via Getty)
Handling the play-by-play for us today will be George Shunick, who will be stacking results from the FOX Sports 2 main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and fire off your own observational witticisms in the comments section.
(An elusive striker who throws punches like they cost him money vs. a former All-American wrestler. Yeah, baby. This is the matchup the Brits have been *begging* for. / Photo via Getty)
Handling the play-by-play for us today will be George Shunick, who will be stacking results from the FOX Sports 2 main card broadcast after the jump beginning at 3 p.m. ET / noon PT. Refresh the page every few minutes for all the latest updates, and fire off your own observational witticisms in the comments section.
Preliminary Card Results
– Al Iaquinta def. Piotr Hallmann via unanimous decision (30-27 x 2, 29-28)
– Luke Barnatt def. Andrew Craig via submission (rear-naked choke), 2:12 of round 2
– Jessica Andrade def. Rosi Sexton via unanimous decision (30-26 x 2, 30-27)
– Cole Miller def. Andy Ogle via unanimous decision (29-28 x 3)
– Jimy Hettes def. Robert Whiteford via technical submission (triangle choke), 2:17 of round 2
– Brad Scott def. Michael Kuiper via submission (front choke), 4:17 of round 1
Welcome Potato Nation, to this Saturday presentation of the prestigious UFC liveblog. I know plenty of you are probably surfing between watching the fights and college football – not that any of you went to college, you degenerates – so this should keep you up-to-date on today’s happenings while you attempt to filter the sheer amount of sanctioned violence you will bear witness to. The main event today will be Lyoto Machida making his debut in the middleweight division against wrestler and power striker Mark Muñoz. I’m taking Machida, but don’t discount Muñoz’ knockout power or the judges’ ability to utterly fail to understand the most basic precepts of MMA. With that said, on to the fights!
Phil Harris vs. John Lineker
Like Lineker here; dude packs serious power and manages to be an exceptionally exciting fighter in an exciting division to begin with. Harris will be a test, but one he should pass.
Round 1
Harris misses an overhand. Lineker lands a low kick that spins Harris around. Overhand from Harris grazes Lineker. Low kick from Lineker spins Harris around again. Another lands. Harris’ leg is already reddened. Harris lands a 1-2 combo. Another right from Harris. Linker drops him with a right, but it’s as much a slip as the power. Body shot from Lineker. Left hook rocks Harris! He’s wobbly but fires back. Right hand drops Harris. Harris stands but he’s wobbly and eating shots. Body shots followed by a left hook to the head. Harris is in big trouble. Left hook the liver drops Harris, Lineker swarms and it’s all over. Beautiful liver shot from Lineker ends the fight. John Lineker def. Phil Harris via TKO, 2:51 of round 1.
Replay shows the punch landed on Harris’ solar plexus. As Rogan notes, Lineker didn’t make weight for the fight; still, it’s an impressive win. Lineker is still relatively raw and isn’t remotely ready to hang with John Dodson or Demetrious Johnson, but it will be interesting to see him develop over the next year or two.
Alessio Sakara vs. Nicholas Musoke
Musoke is from Sweden. Sakara is from Italy. Ummmm… that’s the extent of my analysis here.
Round 1
Musoke moving forward, but Sakara hurts him and tosses him to the ground. Sakara lands a left inside Musoke’s guard. Sakara gets caught! Musoke lands knees from the clinch! Both men are swinging in the middle of the octagon now! Musoke clinches against the fence and takes Sakara down. Sakara went for a triangle, but Musoke uses this to pass to half-guard. Now side control. Knee to the body from Musoke. Sakara regains half-guard. Sakara explodes from the bottom and starts throwing bombs from the top! Now in Musoke’s guard. WHOA! Musoke with an armbar out of nowhere wins it for the Swede! Nicholas Musoke def. Alessio Sakara via verbal submission (armbar), 3:07 of round 1.
If you blinked, you missed that armbar. Damn. Excellent debut for Musoke. Gustafsson, in the crowd, applauds his countryman’s accomplishments. In the polite, reserved Swedish manner, of course.
Norman Parke vs. Jon Tuck
Norman Parke is a TUF Smashes winner. Jon Tuck is a former competitor on TUF Live. In other words, none of you know who either fighter is.
Round 1
Jon Tuck’s nickname is “The Super Saiyan.” Well I know who I’m rooting for. Tuck opens with a headkick. He lands a low kick. Body kick from Tuck. Parke answers with one of his own. Right lands from Tuck. Parke lands a low kick. High kick from Tuck blocked. Nice left hand from Parke. Tuck unloads with three straight rights. They exchange crosses. Parke wiffs on a 1-2. Parke says he got poked but Tuck goes after him anyway; the ref doesn’t intervene. Rogan claims there was no eye poke according to replays. Both exchange crosses again; Tuck’s right against Parke’s left. Teep from Tuck. Low kick Tuck. Tuck barely misses a high kick. Parke lands a nice counter left. Right to the body from Tuck. Parke goes for a takedown at the end of the round and gets it just as time expires. Close round. 10-10.
Round 2
Left to the body from Parke, who’s gaining the momentum. Now he works the jab.Tuck is slowing down but lands a nice body kick. Parke lands a counter left, the a shot to the body. Nice right from Tuck. Uppercut from Parke. Right hook, left cross from Parke. Parke is putting the pressure on now. He’s beginning to land more and more. Left to the body followed by a kick from Parke. Uppercut Parke. Three punch combo for Parke. Nice body shot from Tuck, but immediately countered with a cross. Another cross lands for Parke. Parke isn’t letting Tuck breathe. He’s continuing to land combinations at will. Tuck is tired, and it’s really showing right now. He tries for a flying knee, but it’s blocked. Uppercut-cross combo from Parke. Tuck misses a superman punch off the cage. Parke lands another left. Round ends, 10-9 Parke.
Round 3
jab lands from Parke. Parke misses a capoeira kick. Body shot from Parke. Tuck needs to get the fight to the ground, but he’s not making any effort to do so. They exchange in the center of the ring, smiling at each other. Tuck’s mouthpiece is knocked out, and he’s hit with a barrage as he picks it up and pops it back in his mouth. now he’s getting tagged repeatedly by Parke. Tuck is simply exhausted. Tuck lands a body shot and a knee from the clinch. Parke with a big combo, though. Uppercut from Parke. Then an overhand. Park with a body kick. Tuck is on fumes as the last minute approaches. Left over the top from Parke. 3 punch combo lands from Parke. Two big overhands from Park. They’re exchanging until the end of the round, with Parke almost landing that capoeira kick. He should win this fight handily though.
Norman Parke def. Jon Tuck via unanimous decision (29-28 x 2, 30-27). Tuck should’ve eaten a senzu bean between rounds. That’s just poor planning on his part.
Jimi Manuwa vs. Ryan Jimmo
On one hand, Jimi Manuwa is a terrifying striker. On the other, he’s got a terrible ground game. He last beat Cyrille Diabate when the latter injured his calf. In other words, I’m not sold on the hype. Jimmo by submission or decision.
Round 1
Jimmo comes forward. Manuwa lands a left. Jimmo with a low kick. He reutns with a kick that Manuwa catches. Jimmo uses this to initiate a clinch and bring the fight to the fence. Manuwa lands a knee. Jimmo focusing on positioning. The ref separates them, and Manuwa lands two knees and pushes Jimmo into the fence. Jimmo lands a knee to the face, but it lacks the impact of Manuwa’s. Manuwa landing knees to the thighs of Jimmo. Jimmo winces and turns them around against the cage. Manuwa switches now, but the ref separates them. Jimmo’s in obvious pain, and Manuwa accentuates his point with a low kick. Body kick from Jimmo. Low kick from Manuwa. Hook kick almost lands from Manuwa. Jimmo answers a low kick with a body kick. Manuwa seems like he’s beginning to slow.Jimmo has more energy, but he’s currently refusing to engage. Manuwa tries to chase him down. Jimmo lands a counter right on a hard kick from Manuwa. 10-9 Manuwa.
Round 2
Manuwa rushes in and lands a right, only to get turned around and put against the cage. Jimmo can’t land anything from this position, though. Nice knee to the face, though. The ref breaks them. BIG body kick from Manuwa. Jimmo lands a low kick. High kicked from Manuwa blocked, but vicious low kick lands. Another lands. Manuwa rushes Jimmo into the fence, and begins to land short knees until he’s quickly reversed. Still, Jimmo can’t manage to do much with this position. Jimmo is hit with a low blow, and the fight is briefly stopped. Low kick from Manuwa. Jimmo almost lands a takedown, but they’re back against the fence, neither man doing anything. They’re separated again. Manuwa pushes Jimmo into the fence. They separate and Manuwa lands a big knee! Suddenly Jimmo goes down; it doesn’t appear to have been caused by the knee. The fight is over. The Curse of Manuwa strikes again. Jimi Manuwa def. Ryan Jimmo via TKO (injury), 4:41 of round 2.
Rogan asks Manuwa what sorcerer he trained with prior to this fight. Or he would if he was a responsible broadcaster! Alas, we will never know what dark magics played a role in his triumph. In the meantime, we get a shot of Michael Bisping firing up the crowd with something other than vitriol. Only in Britain.
Ross Pearson vs. Melvin Guillard
This fight isn’t as one-sided as some of you might think. Yes, Guillard has the speed and power, but on the other hand… he’s Melvin Guillard. He can be dominating the fight, but the instant something goes wrong he loses. His misfortunes metastasize as a single slipping rock may set off an avalanche. Should he win? Yes. Will he? I’m not so sure.
Round 1
They touch gloves. Guillard moving on the outside. Pearson with an inside leg kick. Guillard lands a left. Kick checked by Pearson. Inside kick from Pearson. Guillard misses an uppercut. Guillard lands a right to Pearson’s temple. And another. Guillard is loose now. Pearson still pushing forward. Knee from the clinch by Guillard. Flying knee from Pearson, who lands on the canvas! As he tries to return to his feet, Guillard knees him in the temple. The fight is stopped; the first knee is barely legal. However, the second knee is technically illegal — Pearson’s hand was on the ground. All in all, an unsatisfying conclusion to this business.
The fight is declared a no-contest due to an accidental illegal knee (1:57 of round 1). The audio keeps cutting out, presumably due to audience profanity, as Rogan tries to interview Pearson. Pearson has a nasty cut on his forehead; even if the fight wasn’t stopped for an illegal blow, it wouldn’t have lasted much longer. That cut would’ve been a fight-ender.
Lyoto Machida vs. Mark Muñoz
Machida’s movement, striking and takedown defense should prove too much here. Most people forget that Muñoz’ takedowns aren’t that exceptional; he was an accomplished collegiate wrestler largely on the strength of his scrambling and positional abilities. However, should Muñoz succeed in taking Machida down, he’s more than capable of finishing him. His ground and pound is extraordinarily powerful, and possesses more power from the guard than anyone since Fedor. But I suspect it won’t factor into this fight. Machida via decision.
Round 1
They touch gloves. Lots of distance between the two fighters so far. Machida looking for oblique kicks. Machida showing some weird movement right now. Over a minute in, no strikes landed. Muñoz misses a kick. Then he misses a takedown. Body kick from Machida lands! That’s our first strike, two minutes in. Hard body kick from Machida. Low kick Machida. HEAD KICK KNOCKOUT FOR MACHIDA! WOW! Fight’s over, ladies and gentlemen. Lyoto Machida def. Mark Munoz via KO, 3:10 of round 1.
So, Machida just won KO of the Night with that. He leaped on Muñoz when he fell, but restrained himself from following through, seeing Muñoz was out. Then they embraced when Muñoz came to. Lyoto Machida is that dude who will take you out and give you a hug after. Like a hyper-violent teddy bear. Nothing special in the post-fight interview. That’s all for today, heathens!
On 
