Tag: Lyoto Machida

Michael Bisping out of UFC Fight Night 30, Lyoto Machida to Replace Him

The UFC is confirming that top British star, Michael “The Count” Bisping is unfortunately out of the upcoming UFC Fight Night 30 card in Manchester and will be replaced by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. The news is a seri…

The UFC is confirming that top British star, Michael “The Count” Bisping is unfortunately out of the upcoming UFC Fight Night 30 card in Manchester and will be replaced by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida. The news is a serious hit to the card that was specifically tailored for British MMA fans. 

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto relayed that Bisping was forced out due to an eye injury. He underwent surgery earlier this year due to a detached retina and will have to go back under the knife (figuratively, hopefully) on the same eye: 

Bisping was originally scheduled to face resurgent middleweight Mark Munoz. Munoz spent almost a year away from the sport following a devastating knockout loss to Chris Weidman. He returned in July at UFC 162, and he took an easy decision win over Tim Boetsch. 

Munoz, as stated, will now face off with Lyoto Machida. Machida is making his middleweight debut after spending almost his entire career fighting at light heavyweight. Machida was in the thick of title contention, but a controversial unanimous decision loss to Phil Davis knocked him far away from another chance at the belt, prompting his willingness to change divisions.

Machida was previously scheduled to fight Strikeforce import Tim Kennedy in the main event of UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in November. The UFC does not yet have a replacement for Kennedy but are looking to keep him on the card.

The bout between Machida and Munoz will remain a five-round fight and will go down on October 26. Stick with Bleacher Report for more details relating to Bisping‘s condition and a replacement opponent for Kennedy as they become available.

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

The 10 Greatest Light Heavyweight Title Fights In UFC History


(Photo via Getty)

By Adam Martin

“That might be the greatest title fight in the history of the light heavyweight division — and I don’t even know who won! What an incredible fight!”

Those are the words UFC color-commentator Joe Rogan uttered last weekend at the end of the five-round epic at UFC 165 between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Alexander Gustafsson, a fight Jones won via razor-thin unanimous decision.

Although Rogan is often known for his hyperbole, he might have been dead-on that night. Was “Bones” vs. “The Mauler” really the greatest 205-pound title fight in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? To determine the veracity of that statement, I went back and watched the best light heavyweight fights ever held inside the Octagon, and after countless hours of tape study, I feel as though I’ve come up with a very fair list.

Below I’ve listed what in my opinion are the top 10 light heavyweight fights in UFC history based on a mixed criteria of competitiveness, excitement level, hype, how the fight played out in comparison to its expectations, and how it ended. So without any further ado, let’s get started…

10. Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua 1, UFC 104

(Photo via Getty)

Kicking off the list is the controversial first fight between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a fight that still ranks up there with the worst-all time judging decisions in MMA history.

Machida had just knocked out Rashad Evans at UFC 98 and, in the fateful words of Joe Rogan, the “Machida Era” had commenced. However, “Shogun” had a thing or two to say about that as the former PRIDE star was coming off of two TKO wins over Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman, and he wanted to prove to everyone it was he, not Machida, who was the best light heavyweight in the world at the time.

For five rounds, Machida and “Shogun” went toe-to-toe in the Octagon and although Machida definitely had his moments in the match, it appeared to most observers that there would be a new light heavyweight champion crowned, as Rua landed a ton of brutal leg kicks to Machida that left the champ’s torso and thighs looking like a bruised peach.

But while “Shogun” arguably won every round of the fight, the judges somehow saw the fight in favor of Machida, with all three scoring the bout 48-47 in favor of “The Dragon” despite the volume of leg kicks thrown by Rua, leading judge Cecil People to idiotically declare that leg kicks don’t finish fights. UFC president Dana White saw things differently, however, and set up an immediate rematch at UFC 113 where Rua KO’d Machida into oblivion — a happy ending to an infamous screwjob.


(Photo via Getty)

By Adam Martin

“That might be the greatest title fight in the history of the light heavyweight division — and I don’t even know who won! What an incredible fight!”

Those are the words UFC color-commentator Joe Rogan uttered last weekend at the end of the five-round epic at UFC 165 between UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones and challenger Alexander Gustafsson, a fight Jones won via razor-thin unanimous decision.

Although Rogan is often known for his hyperbole, he might have been dead-on that night. Was “Bones” vs. “The Mauler” really the greatest 205-pound title fight in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship? To determine the veracity of that statement, I went back and watched the best light heavyweight fights ever held inside the Octagon, and after countless hours of tape study, I feel as though I’ve come up with a very fair list.

Below I’ve listed what in my opinion are the top 10 light heavyweight fights in UFC history based on a mixed criteria of competitiveness, excitement level, hype, how the fight played out in comparison to its expectations, and how it ended. So without any further ado, let’s get started…

10. Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua 1, UFC 104

(Photo via Getty)

Kicking off the list is the controversial first fight between Lyoto Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, a fight that still ranks up there with the worst-all time judging decisions in MMA history.

Machida had just knocked out Rashad Evans at UFC 98 and, in the fateful words of Joe Rogan, the “Machida Era” had commenced. However, “Shogun” had a thing or two to say about that as the former PRIDE star was coming off of two TKO wins over Hall of Famers Chuck Liddell and Mark Coleman, and he wanted to prove to everyone it was he, not Machida, who was the best light heavyweight in the world at the time.

For five rounds, Machida and “Shogun” went toe-to-toe in the Octagon and although Machida definitely had his moments in the match, it appeared to most observers that there would be a new light heavyweight champion crowned, as Rua landed a ton of brutal leg kicks to Machida that left the champ’s torso and thighs looking like a bruised peach.

But while “Shogun” arguably won every round of the fight, the judges somehow saw the fight in favor of Machida, with all three scoring the bout 48-47 in favor of “The Dragon” despite the volume of leg kicks thrown by Rua, leading judge Cecil People to idiotically declare that leg kicks don’t finish fights. UFC president Dana White saw things differently, however, and set up an immediate rematch at UFC 113 where Rua KO’d Machida into oblivion — a happy ending to an infamous screwjob.

9. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Dan Henderson, UFC 75

(Photo via Sherdog)

The UFC promoted this fight as a title unification bout between Jackson, who had just won the UFC title from Chuck Liddell via first-round TKO at UFC 71, and Henderson, who was a two-division champ coming over from PRIDE. But even though it was a title fight, since it took place in England the UFC decided to put the tape-delayed event on SPIKE TV instead of pay-per-view, which turned out to be a great idea as 4.7 million viewers tuned in to watch what became one of the biggest MMA fights in TV history.

The match delivered as much action as it promised, with Henderson and “Rampage” going back-and-forth for five rounds with both men displaying their excellence in striking and wrestling. After it was all said and done, “Rampage” won a unanimous decision, a victory that gave him the only successful defense of his UFC light heavyweight title. As for Henderson, he finally earned another crack at the UFC light heavyweight title in 2012 — a full five years after the fight with Rampage — but after the fiasco of UFC 151 he never ended up getting his shot at the belt. And at 43 years old now and coming off of two losses, it’s doubtful that he will again.

8. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin, UFC 86

(Photo via MMAWeekly)

Rampage’s next outing was his five-round battle at UFC 86 against Forrest Griffin, which followed a coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter season seven — the same show that rocketed Griffin to stardom just three years earlier.

Griffin entered the fight as a big underdog, as most fans thought Jackson’s knockout power and wrestling skills would make it an easy second title defense for him. But the fight sure didn’t play out that way, as Griffin used leg kicks and submission attempts to make it competitive throughout and a true coin-flip on the judges’ cards.

At the end of five rounds, Griffin was announced the winner by unanimous decision and in the process became the second TUF winner to win a UFC title (after Matt Serra the previous year). However, the fight was not without controversy as “Rampage” and many media and fans felt he should have won the decision.

But he didn’t, and that night at UFC 86 was the last time Jackson would ever hold a UFC belt. As for Griffin, he fought another TUF winner, Rashad Evans, in his first title defense at UFC 92, and was knocked out. And, like Jackson, he never came close to sniffing the belt ever again.

7. Jon Jones vs. Vitor Belfort, UFC 152

(Photo via Esther Lin/MMAFighting)

The seventh fight on this list is one of three bouts to feature current UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones, and it only came together as a result of the debacle that was UFC 151. Jones had been set to face Dan Henderson at UFC 151, but “Hendo” pulled out of the fight just a week earlier and Jones refused to face Chael Sonnen on short notice. After Lyoto Machida refused to fight Jones for a second time on short notice, the UFC then recruited middleweight Vitor Belfort to move back up to 205 and try to win back the UFC light heavyweight championship, a belt he held briefly in 2004 when he “stopped” Randy Couture with a cut at UFC 46.

Belfort wasn’t supposed to stand a chance in the matchup, but in the first round he caught Jones in a tight armbar and nearly shocked the world. However, Jones — even though he damaged his arm in the process — fought through the early adversity and then poured it on a game Belfort until the fourth round, when the champ was able to coax a stoppage with a keylock submission.

Although he did win, the fight wasn’t as one-sided as Jones’s previous conquests and it showed that the champ was vulnerable and not as unstoppable as many had previously thought, a point which was driven home in his most recent fight against Alexander Gustafsson. As for Belfort, he used the loss to Jones as fuel for a run at middleweight and he’s since knocked out Michael Bisping and Luke Rockhold in scintillating fashion to emerge as one of the top contenders at 185 pounds.

6. Jon Jones vs. Lyoto Machida, UFC 140

(Photo via Tracy Lee/Yahoo!)

2011 saw Jon Jones choke out Ryan Bader, become light heavyweight champion with a TKO of Shogun Rua, and stop Quinton Jackson with a fourth-round rear-naked choke. For an encore performance, he would have his fourth fight of the year against Lyoto Machida. It turned out to be by far his most difficult match to date, as the elusive Machida was able to outstrike Jones in round one and even rock the young champion at one point, something which no one else had ever done to him inside the Octagon.

But Jones battled back hard and in the second round he began taking it to Machida before snatching “The Dragon’s” neck in a standing guillotine choke. As soon as the referee told Jones to break, he let the choke go and Machida dropped to the canvas, unconscious and with his eyes pointing into nowhere. Jones, meanwhile, just walked away.

Jones has since made four more title defenses to break the former record held by Tito Ortiz, proving without a doubt he is the greatest light heavyweight fighter in the history of the sport. As for Machida, he’s since dropped down to 185 pounds as he looks to become the third fighter in UFC history to win belts in two different weight classes after Randy Couture and BJ Penn previously accomplished the feat.

On the next page: A record-breaking rematch, Tito battles the Shamrocks, and the greatest 205-pound title war is revealed…

UFC: Charting Lyoto Machida’s Course to a Middleweight Title Fight

Although I’ve never been fond of fighters moving down a division, the idea of Lyoto Machida fighting at middleweight just seems right.
He’s an excellent fighter from a technical stand point, and he does go for the finish when it is availabl…

Although I’ve never been fond of fighters moving down a division, the idea of Lyoto Machida fighting at middleweight just seems right.

He’s an excellent fighter from a technical stand point, and he does go for the finish when it is available. His defensive skills are still among the best in the sport, and his counter strikes can be deadly.

In fact, sometimes I’m still a bit shocked that the “Machida era” came to a close so quickly in the light heavyweight division. When he won the title, it didn’t look like anyone would have the blueprint to defeat him.

Of course, thanks to Mauricio “Shogun” Rua, we know differently.

Now, after four defeats (two of which are highly debatable), Machida is looking for UFC gold once again, and he’s heading south of the 205 border.

Of course it’s a tantalizing idea, but only for as long as there is some other champion other than Anderson Silva. Should Silva defeat current champion Chris Weidman, it’s highly unlikely Machida will move for the belt.

But for my money, I doubt Silva will reclaim the gold, which is a topic for another conversation.

When you look at the middleweight division, you see many great fighters, but it is hard to see a man with the style needed to defeat Machida. Out of the likes of Vitor Belfort, Ronaldo Souza, Michael Bisping, Mark Munoz and others, it’s hard to imagine any of them being able to overcome his elusiveness and his counter-fighting style.

Of course, anything can happen in a fight; we didn’t think Shogun could pull it off, but he did with a vengeance. Silva has the means to defeat him, but once again, that fight seems highly unlikely.

But theory is one thing, the act of doing is another.

So, how does Machida land a title fight at middleweight?

First of all, he needs to make a big splash while proving the weight cut isn’t going to diminish him. To that end, his fight with Tim Kennedy (at UFC Fight for the Troops 3) seems the perfect introduction. Kennedy is a game fighter who has proven to have good conditioning more often than not, and he fights well from the underdog position.

Also, Kennedy will be highly motivated for this fight; he’ll be fighting in front of his military brethren, which means everything for him.

Machida needs to best Kennedy by any means possible; a loss in his first fight at 185 would set him back greatly. Obviously, a stoppage victory would be best, but really, any victory will do for now.

This is his first fight at middleweight, so many expect that there may be some sluggishness and missteps. As long as he wins, these things are forgivable.

Next, he needs to take on a name in the top five, preferably against someone who knows how to sell a fight on one hand and fight it on the other. A bout against Bisping would do nicely.

Like Machida, Bisping used to fight at light heavyweight, and perhaps none in the division (save for Silva) are as elusive as The Count. If I had a dollar for all the times I heard some heavy-handed slugger talking about how he was going to go in and flatten Bisping, only to be unquestionably defeated by the brash Brit…well, I’d have about $10, but you get the point.

A fight with Bisping would be very interesting and very watchable, especially when you consider how good he is at talking up a fight. It wouldn’t take long for him to start poking at Machida in the press; given how many people love to watch Bisping fight (mainly to see him lose), Machida would find himself in the spotlight again.

Once again, this is a very winnable fight for Machida, especially since he is the one with one-strike, knockout power between them. Odds are he would outpoint Bisping or finish him with a counter strike and a flurry on the floor, but either way, he would be very close to a title shot.

The next fight would be one of fortune for the fans and one of necessity for the fighters; a bout pitting Machida against either Belfort or Souza, ideally in Brazil.

A fight against either of these men is a gateway fight to the title, not to mention a hazardous situation. Belfort has the ability to KO Machida if he lands, and Souza could submit him on the ground.

But there are hazards in any fight for both sides. Machida could also KO Belfort and Souza in the blink of an eye. Honestly, neither man has proven to be able to deal with a fighter as elusive and accurate as Machida, and they are both very hittable.

For Souza, as great as Jacare is becoming, his only real chance of defeating Machida is to get him to the mat, and that is highly unlikely. Machida would likely stuff the takedowns while taking him apart on the feet, eventually scoring a knockout or lopsided decision.

Against Belfort, Machida would be moving all night, circling and feinting and racking up points with his leg kicks. Machida’s style seems perfectly suited to keeping Belfort in a constant state of flux between setting up for an attack and then suddenly having to defend against those explosive long distance strikes that Machida does so well.

It’s highly probably that Machida would catch him in those moments of transition enough times to win a fight on points or knock him out.

Then, after three straight victories, a shot at the title would be nearly unavoidable, especially with the amount of hype that could be focused on Machida becoming one of the very few fighters in UFC history to win a belt in two weight classes.

That would be an accomplishment indeed…and perhaps the beginning of a new era.

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Fight Booking Alert: Carmouche vs. Davis & Krause vs. Green Set for Fight for The Troops


(Liz Carmouche pounds out Jessica Andrade | Photo via MMAFighting.com)

Two new bouts were just added to the November 6th UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in Kentucky. Lightweights James Krause and Bobby Green will square up and Marine Veteran Liz Carmouche and Alexis Davis will lock up in a women’s bantamweight contest.

Yahoo! Sports broke the news on Carmouche vs. Davis Friday. The UFC announced the Green/Krause bout on twitter.

Carmouche has fought twice this year already. First, she challenged 135lb champ Ronda Rousey last February, losing by arm bar. In July, however, Carmouche got back in the win column with a second round TKO win over Jessica Andrade. Davis last won a decision over Rosi Sexton at UFC 161

Krause and Green are both riding high heading into their bout. Krause has an eight fight win streak and won his last by submission over Sam Stout. Green came from Strikeforce and submitted Jacob Volkmann in his organization debut at UFC 156. The win was Green’s fifth straight.

The Fight for the Troops card will be headlined by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida making his middleweight debut against veteran Army Ranger Tim Kennedy.

– Elias Cepeda


(Liz Carmouche pounds out Jessica Andrade | Photo via MMAFighting.com)

Two new bouts were just added to the November 6th UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in Kentucky. Lightweights James Krause and Bobby Green will square up and Marine Veteran Liz Carmouche and Alexis Davis will lock up in a women’s bantamweight contest.

Yahoo! Sports broke the news on Carmouche vs. Davis Friday. The UFC announced the Green/Krause bout on twitter.

Carmouche has fought twice this year already. First, she challenged 135lb champ Ronda Rousey last February, losing by arm bar. In July, however, Carmouche got back in the win column with a second round TKO win over Jessica Andrade. Davis last won a decision over Rosi Sexton at UFC 161

Krause and Green are both riding high heading into their bout. Krause has an eight fight win streak and won his last by submission over Sam Stout. Green came from Strikeforce and submitted Jacob Volkmann in his organization debut at UFC 156. The win was Green’s fifth straight.

The Fight for the Troops card will be headlined by former light heavyweight champion Lyoto Machida making his middleweight debut against veteran Army Ranger Tim Kennedy.

– Elias Cepeda

Lyoto Machida: Four Reasons ‘The Dragon’ Will Be a Middleweight Contender

Lyoto Machida has chosen a new path to UFC gold. 
After dropping a close and controversial decision to Phil Davis at UFC 163, Machida abandoned the light heavyweight division, opting to test his skills at 185 for the foreseeable future. 
The …

Lyoto Machida has chosen a new path to UFC gold. 

After dropping a close and controversial decision to Phil Davis at UFC 163, Machida abandoned the light heavyweight division, opting to test his skills at 185 for the foreseeable future. 

The move is significant and potentially career-changing for “The Dragon.” 

Machida poses problems for everybody at middleweight for a variety of reasons, a fact which will quickly land him in title contention. 

So, start the slideshow to see why the Karate master will rocket up the middleweight rankings. 

 

 

Begin Slideshow

Tim Kennedy Talks Lyoto Machida Fight, Blasts Vitor Belfort and Dan Henderson

After weeks of asking and hoping for a big fight, former two-time Strikeforce title challenger Tim Kennedy got his wish late Wednesday night. 
The UFC tossed Kennedy a bone in the form of ex-light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida, who will make his…

After weeks of asking and hoping for a big fight, former two-time Strikeforce title challenger Tim Kennedy got his wish late Wednesday night. 

The UFC tossed Kennedy a bone in the form of ex-light heavyweight champ Lyoto Machida, who will make his first cut to 185 pounds at UFC Fight for the Troops 3 in November (via MMA Fighting). 

Speaking with Bleacher Report on the phone, the 33-year-old used just about every phrase he could think of to say he was elated about the matchup. 

“I was super excited, totally pumped, thrilled, ecstatic, when I was told about the fight,” Kennedy said about fighting a 15-fight UFC veteran and former titleholder in “The Dragon.”

“I think he’s always been a small light heavyweight, he should’ve been a middleweight a few years ago,” he said about Machida‘s first scheduled scrap at 185 pounds.

“He should’ve come down to middleweight sooner, which I think is the natural weight for him. I have the expectation it will be the best Machida since he won the title.”

Machida‘s days at light heavyweight have appeared limited ever since his one and only title defense, a controversial decision over former Pride star Mauricio Rua at UFC 104 in October 2009.

Since then, the karate-based striker has gone just 3-3, though most media outlets, fans and fighters alike believe he was robbed in a unanimous decision loss to Phil Davis at UFC 163 earlier this month. 

Kennedy is in the majority that he believes Machida should have been given the nod, though he wouldn’t have been surprised to have seen the bout ruled a draw.

“I think Machida won, it was a close fight, but I appreciate the counter striking stuff,” he stated.

“There’s a fine line between counter striking and back peddling, which he is guilty of sometimes. Carlos Condit does the best job of being the counter striking guy that is very elusive.”

“Anyway, Phil was doing everything he should’ve been doing, but he should’ve been doing more of it. Lyoto landed more power strikes, more significant strikes, and Phil landed some takedowns but he didn’t do anything after he got ’em. I don’t know, you could argue neither guy did enough to win honestly.”

The fact that his next fight takes place at a Fight for Troops event only makes Kennedy, a United States Army Sergeant First Class, that much more motivated to pull off the upset. 

“Right after my last fight, I was asking to be on that card. The groups I represent are the Green Beret Foundation, Rhino Den, Ranger Up and the  Wounded Warriors, so it’s really cool to be on this card. Emotionally, I’m very invested, and I have to be since I’m fighting a legend who is a dangerous fighter.”

While it all ended up working out in the end, Kennedy was unsure what would come of the UFC’s middleweight logjam following his UFC 162 victory over Roger Gracie, as evidenced by this tweet from Sunday: 

As Kennedy previously told Bleacher Report, he was hoping for a matchup with Pride legend Wanderlei Silva, who has been linked to a fight with Chael Sonnen. 

The latest snag in the fight negotiation is that “The Axe Murderer” wants pay-per-view points to fight Sonnen, something that UFC President Dana White doesn’t seem willing to grant. 

However, if it were up to Kennedy, the Brazilian brawler would get his wish based on everything he has contributed to the sport of MMA. 

“I’m not surprised,” Kennedy said about Wanderlei‘s latest request to make the Sonnen fight happen.

“It’s the twilight years of Wanderlei’s career, he’s such a marquee fighter, a legend … will Chael probably beat him? Yea, but him and Fedor (Emelianenko) are the personification of that epic era, the prime beginnings of MMA. Chuck was in the UFC, they were over there (in Pride). I think he deserves everything he asks for.”

A few weeks ago, Kennedy was linked to a fight with perennial 185-pound contender Vitor Belfort, but “The Phenom” decided he isn’t fighting at middleweight unless the title is on the line (via Bloody Elbow).

The Texas native was unaware that Belfort has since been paired up with Dan Henderson for UFC Fight Night 32 on November 9 and he doesn’t seem particularly thrilled about the matchmaking. 

“I wonder who is going to have higher testosterone levels during their fight camp?,” Kennedy said about the veteran competitors, both of which have been using testosterone replacement therapy for years. 

“The real competition for those two is who is going to have the highest testosterone levels during the fight camp. Just take their testosterone levels from four weeks out, and that’s the winner of the fight, no reason for these guys to even meet in the cage.”

Needless to say, Kennedy is firmly against fighters that use TRT and/or performance-enhancing drugs, to the point where he doesn’t believe TRT should be an approved treatment in MMA, taking a few more verbal shots at Belfort.

“If you have a guy who can only fight in a scenario where hes injecting synthetic testosterone into his body, he shouldn’t be fighting,” he said in a straightforward manner.

“This is mixed martial arts, (which involves) integrity, legacy, discipline … this is not Mark MaGwire baseball; he almost killed the sport of baseball. Somebody needs to come to grips this (TRT) is damaging the sport.”

“His (Belfort) requirement to fight me was to fight me in Brazil. If I get a call to fight, I’m told its at this time, at this place and I accept. I don’t go around being like ‘well, I’m only going to fight so and so if we meet in Austin, Texas.’ Fight clean, stop using steroids.”

Kennedy did not speculate on the rumors that Belfort primarily fights in Brazil due to a failed drug test for steroids in October 2006, putting his TRT usage exemption in jeopardy anywhere in the states (via MMA Weekly).

However, he did sarcastically say “what a surprise” when he was informed Belfort vs. Henderson II was taking place in Brazil. 

As far as Machida goes, Kennedy feels there is potential for a great fight for the fans and the troops.

“I hope he comes to fight. I don’t want to chase the guy around for 15 minutes. That’s not the fight the fans want, the troops want,” Kennedy explained. “If he comes and fights, we’re gonna put on a great show.”

When told that Machida recently told MMA Fighting he was basically indifferent about the matchup with Kennedy, preferring Belfort or Sonnen instead, the 33-year-old wasn’t offended in the slightest.

“I know I’m not a marque name and I’m looked past by most guys. (Machida) is an example of a true fighter to me: my hats off to Lyoto for being a real fighter and stepping up to the plate to fight me,” he said, seemingly taking another shot at Belfort. 

Kennedy vs. Machida headlines UFC Fight for the Troops 3, which takes place in Fort Campbell, Kentucky on November 6. 

 

Follow Tim Kennedy on Twitter. 

 

John Heinis is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report. He is also the MMA Editor for eDraft.com.

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