Can Shogun Slay the Dragon? Tough Brazilians to Fight for UFC Light Heavyweight Belt Saturday

Share on Facebook posted 10-23-09 by John George

I’m really excited about tomorrow night’s fight between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (15-0-0) and Mauricio “Shogun “ Rua (18-3-0) for the Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title. I’m also a little nervous.

The fight is the main event of UFC 104, which will be broadcast live on Pay Per View from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

I’m excited because it’ll be a chance to see Machida fight again. The Dragon has a unique fighting style that makes him appear to be part cat and part cobra. He is lightning-quick and superelusive, but he strikes hard and decisively. He is also a true martial artist and a good, honorable person. He serves as a role model, representing all the best characteristics of professional fighters with none of the bad.

I’m nervous because Shogun is clearly a worthy contender who poses a threat whenever he is in a fight. I don’t think Shogun will be able to beat Machida, but anything can happen in the Octagon, and I really want Machida to win. I’ve got nothing against Shogun. In fact, I think he’s great. It’s just that I like Machida that much more. I want the Dragon to stay champion long enough to have a major impact on the sport and contribute to a culture of honor and respect in the fight game.

A Martial Arts Traditionalist, With Brutal Ground-and-Pound

Machida grew up in Belem, Brazil, the son of a Japanese Shotokan karate master. Machida began training in karate at age three, and he earned his black belt at 13. As a teenager, he also trained in sumo and Brazilian jiu jitsu. Later he rounded out his skills by studying wrestling and Muy Thai. He is one of the most elusive and efficient fighters in MMA today, and he is also one of the most traditional martial artists.

Early on, many MMA fans didn’t understand what Machida was doing and actually booed him while he was skillfully picking apart his opponents. But after his dynamite knockouts of Rashad Evans and Thiago Silva, I think they all get it now. Rashad was a deserving champion with his own incredibly quick reflexes and tremendous power. And Silva is one of the scariest people in the Octagon, an absolute animal with an incredible killer instinct. Machida made beating them both look easy.

The first time I noticed Machida was during his September 2007 decision victory over Kazuhiro Nakamura. I remember being impressed by his evasive stand-up style, great clinch technique, tremendous takedown defense and brutal ground-and-pound. I continued to appreciate his style during his submission victory over Rameau Sokoudjou in December 2007, and I was really rooting for him against Tito Ortiz, whom Machida defeated by unanimous decision in May 2008.

Machida became my hero when he whooped Tito’s ass and sent him out of the Octagon. Tito hasn’t fought in the UFC since, although he has reportedly made amends with UFC President Dana White and is now scheduled to fight Forrest Griffin in UFC 106 on November 21st. I’ve never liked Tito’s pimped-out affect as the bleached-blond guy in fancy suits who parades around town with a porn star on his arm. (Jenna Jameson is his significant other.) And I’ve always been put off by his insolent attitude. So I really hope Forrest is able to clean his clock.

My Prediction

But let’s get back to Machida and Rua. I don’t think Machida will lose. Rua, a fellow Brazilian, out of Curitiba, did knock out Chuck Liddell in April, but this came at a time when Chuck had already lost his edge and was spiraling downward. It was after this fight that Dana White announced that he wouldn’t let Chuck fight in the UFC any more.

Rua had previously fought Mark “The Hammer” Coleman in January. This was one of the most ridiculous fights in recent memory. Coleman is a UFC dinosaur who spent most of the past decade fighting in Pride and whose leathery face looks like that of a man who has spent years abusing performance-enhancing drugs. During their fight, Coleman literally stumbled into the ring looking like he didn’t know where he was or what was happening. He fought like a man with a severe case of the flu, and Rua still had trouble finishing him. I was laughing my ass off at the shitty performance put on by both fighters.

Rua lost his UFC debut fight against Forrest in September 2007, the same night Machida defeated Nakamura. Before that, during Rua’s Pride days, he had some good wins, but he didn’t really face too much top competition. He defeated Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Kevin Randleman, Alistair Overeem, Renato Sobral, Antonio Rogerio Noguiera, and Nakamura. He lost to Coleman in 2006, when Coleman broke his arm.

My prediction (and hope) for this fight is that Machida will win by knockout. Probably in the first round, maybe in the second. Good luck, Dragon.

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