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Following a very close and somewhat controversial decision the UFC is pushing to have Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua square off in a rematch as soon as January 2. Photo: Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images
UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Lyoto Machida spoke to MMAWeekly.com about his controversial win at Saturday’s UFC 104:
"I was a hundred percent, but sometimes when you get in there, you’re strategy doesn’t always work exactly like you planned it to," he said. "I would have liked to perform better, but it happens sometimes.
“I was looking to finish the fight whenever I could, but it showed that Shogun came very well prepared for this fight. I was constantly trying to find openings to finish the fight, but unfortunately, I didn’t get that.”
One of the most unfortunate things about the fight is that many fans of the sport are acting as though Machida did something wrong by winning. Agree or disagree with the decision all you want but Lyoto did all he could do and he isn’t the one scoring the fights.
When the main event of UFC 104 went to a decision it was clear that either way the decision went would leave some group of fans upset. It turned out to be a unanimous decision for Lyoto Machida which left a little to be desired for BloodyElbow's Kid Nate:
The moral of the story? If you want the belt you must knock out the champ.
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua fought the perfect fight, formulated the perfect strategy and beat the champ in every way but officially. He refused to let Lyoto control the rhythm of the fight. By taking the lead in the foot work and stalking Machida but forcing the champ to throw first so he could counter. Shogun's leg and body kicks left Machida staggered and limping. By the late rounds, Machida's mobility was so compromised that he could do little to force the action.
While others around the site did score the fight for Machida it was clear that a rematch was going to be needed to calm down the fans. And a rematch is exactly what we'll get. MMA Mania with the news:
"I thought Shogun won the fight," White remarked at the post-event press conference.
However, White appeared to be a little ticked that both fighters didn’t lay it all on the line in the fifth and final round. That’s because both of their respective corners told them they were ahead on the judges scorecards.
Expect Machida and Shogun to do things much differently in a rematch, which White said would happen "as fast as we can."
"I believe this will be a good rematch," he said. "They won’t make the same mistakes next time. Each one will try to win decisively."
Really it is the last line which carries a lot of weight. Neither fighter "went for it" in regards to a stoppage. And when you let the fight go to the cards you open yourself up to potential disappointment. Here's hoping for a clear end to the rematch.
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Dana White Wants Machida / Rua Rematch On January 2
I actually do not have any interest in seeing a rematch so quickly. The last thing the situation needs is an unhealthy Machida losing to Rua and having an entirely new situation crop up that necessitates yet another quick rematch. I’d rather see the fight put off until February or March to allow for recovery time while still being a fairly quick turnaround.
Oct 27 6:37p by Brent Brookhouse - 0 comments