I was on the edge of my seat watching Shogun Rua actually give current light-heavyweight champion Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida a fight, which really says a lot about the mystique Lyoto Machida has developed. Machida, often touted as the man to save Karate, was undefeated and hadn’t even lost a single round in his UFC career. Lyoto was touted as the least hit fighter in UFC history.
Machida is a familiar sight to the boxing crowd, a mobile, elusive outside fighter with great defenses. I’m talking about a Willie Pep, Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker, Mohommed Ali type. Unlike boxing though, the octogon is gigantic and there are no “corners” to cut off, making this style even more effective. It’s really amazing no one tried this approach before Machida. I think the MMA and Muay Thai brawling culture caused a gross oversight, but I think we’ll see a lot more guys fighting like this in the future.
Shogun vs. Machida was a classic Muay Thai vs. Karate fight. I can’t recall a time when so many kicks and so few punches were thrown in an MMA title fight. My heart rate rose as Shogun battered the once invisible champ until his body was covered in welts and his legs were batter leaving Machida with a small but ever present limp. The antidote to Machida is the same medicine you give an elusive and mobile boxing opponent, focus a beating on parts of the body which are less elusive and sap mobility in later rounds. In MMA that means hit ‘em in the body and legs.
I scored the fight 4-1 for Shogun. The two friends I watched it with scored the fight 4-1 or 3-2 also for Shogun. When Machida was announced the winner, it was probably the most controversial decision in the history of UFC title fights. I would be angry, but the UFC’s so well managed they’ve already announced an immediate rematch. Yet another lesson boxing should take from MMA.
While boxing is talking lessons, the UFC’s light heavyweight division is the most competitive in MMA. A division where top guys are always facing off for the one and only belt. As a result the belt changes hands several times each year, no champ has had a true title defense since Chuck Liddell did several years ago.**
Notes: ** I’m counting Rampage’s win over Dan Henderson as a Pride/UFC unification therefore not a title defense in a strict sense.
