James Burman, writer for "Fighters Only Magazine" provides an expert's view on the latest UFC matters.
Lyoto Machida, who faces off against Rashad Evans for the light-heavyweight title at UFC 98 next weekend, is the epitome of efficiency.
His footwork allows him to control the range and only engage on his terms and we have yet to see him effectively closed down in this regard. His groundwork is solid, as he demonstrated by destroying Thierry Sokoudjou on the mat. He employs a trip takedown with great results, partially I’d suspect, because it’s so unusual in MMA that few fighters train to defend it.
Machida is, nonetheless, a fighter that has fans divided though. Some love him because he brings a different style into MMA which has cruelly been dubbed ‘hit and run’ by detractors. Others dislike him because he doesn’t ‘scrap’. His style harks back to his Karate roots and looks a lot like the ‘McDojo’ traditional styles that the advent of the UFC heralded the death of.
Machida himself has commented that his predicament is similar to that of Royce Gracie in that at the beginning fans didn’t warm to his style because they weren’t used to it but Royce’s efficient results changed people’s minds. This comment would hold up to examination better if it wasn’t for the fact that Royce Gracie finished fights. He wasn’t scoring points to take a decision because there weren’t points (initially). Royce was avoiding punishment, much like Machida, but choking and armbarring his way through everybody put in front of him.
It’s not hard to like a fight finisher but it’s difficult for the casual fans to warm to the guys who treat MMA like a game. In fact it could be argued that his comments would be more accurate if he compared himself to some of the great ‘lay and pray’ fighters like Jeff Monson. That style too wins fights efficiently but doesn’t end them and few fans have ever warmed to it.
Perhaps this is the issue fans have with Machida and, to some extent, the recent performances of Anderson Silva. MMA is a sport but it is a sport built on fighting and fights typically end with a clear winner or a clear loser, not someone chosen to be a winner on a set of specific criteria. Point scoring within MMA can be enjoyable and there are a multitude of fantastic UFC fights out there that went to the decision but I wouldn’t rank Machida’s fights amongst them. If you compare an MMA fight with a basketball game Machida is that team whose defence completely shuts out the opposition but only scores once, winning the game 3-0 say. He’s a winner sure, but it wasn’t that entertaining for the rest of us.
Until Machida consistently starts finishing fights he will always have detractors and it is only because his style is so unique that he is being singled out so vehemently. Despite my comments for the case against Machida being a fan favourite I actually love watching him.
The Dragon brings something completely new to The Octagon and it’s something that no one else has yet been able to emulate or defeat. Just as other strategies and skills brought into The Octagon over the last 100 or so events have shaped the game, Machida will continue this trend. As we have seen in MMA time and time again the sport continues to evolve and sooner or later either Machida will evolve his style or another MMA fighter will learn to defeat it.
The fact remains that Lyoto Machida is a true individual in what is fast becoming a field of fighters with similar skills and styles, a catalyst for change in the sport and you simply cannot dislike him for that.
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