Video: Lyoto Machida's Spirit Is Ready (And He Will Not Be Touched)
(Courtesy of BadBoy.com)
Does anybody else feel sorry for Thiago Silva after watching this video of Lyoto Machida preparing for their fight at UFC 94? Machida really is one of the most focused, technically sound fighters in the world, and if he can score the mount on Silva as easily as he does with his training partner at the video's 0:42 mark, forget about it. Plus, he has that "spirit" thing going for him, which is nice.
As Machida's brother Chinzo points out, Lyoto "will only attack an opponent when he knows that the strike will hit its mark." And of course there's the matter of his confounding defense. FightMetric put together this comparison of Lyoto Machida and some of MMA's current champions, based on the number of strikes they absorb per minute of fighting ("SApM"):
Lyoto Machida: 0.64 SApM
Georges St. Pierre: 1.01 SApM
Rashad Evans: 1.39 SApM
It's a very telling statistic, when you consider that many MMA fans would name Fedor/Anderson/Georges/BJ as the top four pound-for-pound fighters in the world, in that order. Does Machida deserve to be ranked among them? He certainly has the talent; maybe by the end of the year he'll have the accomplishments as well.
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SmokeyNinja Says:
Machida is a bad match up for anyone. Silva has his work cut out for him on Saturday.
Neal Taflinger Says:
Dan Quinn better see some residuals from this video.
Mark Says:
The real statistic should go like this:
How many Z's caught by fans during fights:
Fedor:0
Silva:.01
GSP:.02
Machida: 1,000,000.
Personally thats how I view the situation - feel free to dissagree
Jugger Says:
I can't wait till Lyoto has Silva in a full mount is about to ground and pound him into oblivion... but then stops and gives him a Mr. Miagi nose honk instead.
"You didn't think I was going to finish you, did you, Mr. Silva? Ha ha ha! You don't know me very well do you, Mr. Silva?"
Anonymous Says:
If Silva thinks charging in throwing haymakers is going to secure victory, then he is fuuuuuuuuuuucked.
My wang be swanging(hitmanbert) Says:
Fuck Machida!
I hate this fucking guy. He sucks. I hope he gets knocked out running backwards and breaks his leg, so we don't have to hear about him for a couple months.
While I'm at it, fuck Evans, Koscheck, Mir, Barnett, and Kimbo!!!
Anonymous Says:
I had these high def videos, they just chug on my comp and I dont know wtf is going on hah. Anyways... lyoto is so much fun to watch, I love seeing his combos and his domination over tito was brillant
Kadumel Says:
Let's be honest with each other. The fight goes like this...
"... touch gloves and go back to your corners... Let's get it on!"
Lyoto and Thiago come to the center of the ring for a quick feel-out process. A few jabs are thrown by both, nothing connects...
Rogan - "You can see the excellent flying armbar submission that Thiago was thinking about doing a second ago. Did you see it in his eyes Goldie?"
Goldberg - "I sure did Joe, how about his academic record? The man passed high school with a 2.87 gpa and went on... WHOA What is Fedor doing up there?"
Fedor descends from the rafters ala Sting, with spiked bat in hand. Lyoto and Thiago never see their ends coming... Blood ensues...
Big John hands Fedor the microphone he produced from his back pocket.
Fedor attempts to call out Lesnar, although nothing is really audible / in english.
Undertaker comes out from under the Octagon and attempts a gogoplata... Fedor also, attempts a gogoplata. Smoke fills the arena and...
/end post
Hey funny using those CompuStrike numbers. Wonder what good ol' James Thompsons numbers are. I mean the guy only gets hit 1 time per fight before he falls.
Kadumel Says:
rofl goto the fight metrics page and read the Fedor v Sylvia fight. It is amusing even though I know what the numbers are.
PingPong Says:
Pretty funny to see a chink speakin' brazilian...USA!
Kadumel Says:
@ PingPong... Very educational... You do realize that "chink" in that context means Chinese, and that Lyoto is of Japanese descent right?
Chiggs Says:
Kadumel, of course, he doesnt, cuz if he did,he'd just look that much more stupid, if possible at this point. Pingpong why dont ya go jump in front of a moving truck with your stupidass racist fuckin comments. Lyoto would snap you like a twig and/or twist you into a little pretzel you dumb fuck. Hes Japanese and Brazilian and oneof the most skilled and gifted athletes/mma fighters going today. By this time next year he'll be the lhw champ too.
Anonymous Says:
And he also thinks brazilian is a language
cody m Says:
Is there a reason Silva is getting no love? I think he's going to KILL Machida, as soon as he catches him of course.
WarpedAcorn Says:
The "Machida Divide" might be what starts a civil war in the MMA world.
SpaceAlias Says:
Lyoto Machida will be the Light Heavyweight Champion within the next two years. People can call him boring, but I see a guy who does exactly what his brother said he does "he only throws strikes that he knows he can land". Sure its not as fun to watch as a crazy chance taking badass, but so far we have seen all of those crazy badasses get beat. As for his spirit, I believe it is that Samurai Spirit that kept him from tapping when Tito put him in that deep guillotine at the end of their fight.
biohazardone Says:
Machida has proven himself to be a pretty dominant fighter in the UFC. He continues to be undefeated due to the fact that nobody has been able to come up with a good strategy against his unorthodox fighting style. Despite Machida's great skill, the UFC is hesitant to give him a title shot because he is not a very exciting fighter in the eyes of the novice MMA fan. Even the hardcore fans can sometimes find him somewhat boring with regards to his fighting style. I for one, appreciate the technical aspect of his fights but I would also like for him to go out and put on an exciting fight. If Machida shows up on Saturday and fights a slow "boring" fight, rest assure that the UFC will hold off on giving him a title shot even though he objectively deserves it. Now for my pick.....I think Machida will beat Silva only because Silva will not be able to figure out how to go around Machida's Karate. I think it will go the distance and a unanious decision will be given to Machida. This in no way disregards Silva's fighting skills. Silva is an awsome fighter and if he were fighting someone else....i mean anyone else, I would bet my measly paycheck that he would win the fight. But we need to keep in mind that he is fighting Machida. Machida will not allow him to get his rythym at any point in the fight. Again, my opinion....feel free to disagree.....
Jugger Says:
Lyoto will not be the LWH Champ in the near future. Dana has told him in private meetings that he will not give Lyoto a title shot UNTIL such a time as he wins two fights without the help of the judges.
At the rate he's going, that would take... about 12 years.
Anderson Silva who? Says:
This is going to be a 3 round Snooze fest! They should put this on the undercard and move up Jon fitch's fight.
Kadumel Says:
Good catch Anonymous, I wasn't even reading after the "chink" part of his post : )
Biohazard, thanks for that insightful read. I never realized that people sometimes get bored watching him fight. I guess I just never thought of it before.
Also thanks to everyone mentioning the A. Silva vs Machida fight, since A. Silva said he would leave the division before he fought Machida, his friend and training partner.
captain planet Says:
@Jugger.... interesting point, but where did you hear that from?
drummer Says:
I think Machida is brilliant, but I do hope he starts scoring some knockouts. As for him him not standing still and brawling, who in their right mind would think willingly taking shots is a good strategy. Machida will be champ. Just my opinion.
machete for hands Says:
Does anyone know what submission that is on 1:45??? WOW THAT SHIT LOOKS TIGHT! I NEED TO TRY THAT ONE FOR SURE
Jugger Says:
Captain Planet...
I totally made it up.
Me Says:
Fairly standard arm triangle machete.
machete for hands Says:
captian PLANET hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
machete for hands Says:
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Anonymous Says:
My vote for post of the week goes to Jugger. (just give him the shirt now)
"I can't wait till Lyoto has Silva in a full mount is about to ground and pound him into oblivion... but then stops and gives him a Mr. Miagi nose honk instead.
You didn't think I was going to finish you, did you, Mr. Silva? Ha ha ha! You don't know me very well do you, Mr. Silva?"
Thats funny as hell
rick dickulous Says:
I just beat the shit out of my little brother for doing the lyoto machida backpedal while sparring, and If I can do that to a 13 year old, Tiago should have no problems.
Dr. Says:
Lyoto "The Sleepy Dragon" does have great skill and people say he has a fighting spirit. Yes, it takes spirit to step into the cage. And while a number of people want him to finish a fight, they aren't looking for him to swing away wildly. If that's what I wanted, I'd go watch some BumFights. Machida does seem to be more interested in self-preservation though.
And saying that he only strikes when he knows the shot will land is bogus. Not all of Machida's strikes land. You have to factor in people blocking the shots. Because will he is a good striker, he lacks the killer instinct to put someone away when they are in trouble. His only TKOs were against Franklin (Strikes), Bonnar (Cut) and Dimitri Wanderley (5-2; 3-1 at the time) (which was called a TKO because of "Exhaustion" at 3:24 of R3). Beyond that, he has 2 subs.
The fact that a 3-1 fighter literally lost because of cardio before Machida saw it and TKO'd from strikes means that he couldn't hit him them if he only throws 100% certain shots. Sad.
I hope Thiago gets wise to that double-step kick and smashes Machida into the ground. I know that Lyoto will be as elusive as ever because he doesn't want to ruin his modeling career with Lugz.
NECROPHYTE Says:
Machida vs Silva?
Lyoto is a superior fighter.
Dr. Says:
Lyoto is a great fighter from a skill perspective but that's not all what makes a fighter.
Meohfumado Says:
People think fighting is only about doing damage to your opponent, but in the martial arts, avoiding damage is equally as important. Being skilled at avoiding damage though, for some reason makes you a "pussy" and going ballz out stupid swinging for the fences while taking a ton of damage makes you a "man."
I don't understand it myself. If the point of a fight is to win, Lyoto is the man. He never puts himself in position to lose a fight by doing anything stupid, and his style frustrates opponents into making those same mistakes.
Of course he's too "technical" for average MMA fans because he doesn't put on a great show in their eyes. Well if the "show" is all that matters, go back to watching TnA and WWE where the "show" is all you get. This man is a martial artist and he knows his shit, and the first lesson is don't be where your opponent is striking.
Clue-by-Four Says:
People who are hating on Machida because he actually uses his head for something other than blocking punches might want to instead spend their PPV dollars on events like the 'WWE Royal Rumble' or 'Springer: Rowdy, Rude, and Reckless'. Those might be more their speed.
groovekill Says:
elusive is blocking and circling. running in a backwards motion is called a retreat.
they should have shown him training with the brazilian track team practicing running away. watch the tito fight, and watch machida as he puts tito down with a knee and starts to run away as tito laying on the mat. dick riders.
Meohfumado Says:
groovekill, you are pointing out two different aspects of his fight game. One is being elusive (not letting oneself be hit), and the other is going for the finisher (taking advantage when a guy is down to finish the fight).
They are separate things. I agree, Lyoto needs to work on getting that killer instinct when he hurts a guy, and needs to stay on it. But that has nothing to do with his ability to make the other guy miss.
And FYI: retreating, regrouping, and counter-attacking is a standard strategy in war and martial arts. It has been for thousands of years...
groovekill Says:
the first top fight machida had in the ufc and he spent most of the fight running from tito. there should be no reason to run from titos striking i dont think hes(tito) ever knoked any one out? has he? whats machida running from so much. its not just killer instint he needs to develop.machida started a patern of running and even when titos down he falls back on running away. yhea its a tactic in war its called gorilla warefare machida should paint his face in camo and hide outside the cage and strike when least expected. and its in martial arts then machida should go back to jk cause hes the only one runnig in mma except starnes.
Meohfumado Says:
What exactly is gorilla warfare? Is that when two silverback gorillas go at it?
SmokeyNinja Says:
Martial arts is the business of teaching students how to hit and not get hit in return. As much as I love to see a good slugfest, when I see a athlete that can dominate their opponent without taking any punishment in return, I feel like I'm watching an artist work. But instead of painting a canvas or playing an instrument Martial artists use an opponent to show thier craft, which happens to be kicking peoples asses.
AlphaDog Says:
Machida is the most boring fighter in MMA today! I hope he gets KTFO and we stop hearing this dribble about his spirit! All this hype about Machida and he doesnt have 1 highlight fight. He runs around the cage until his opponent is rushing in from chasing his ass and he counters. BORING ASS fighter! I hope Silva kills his spirit and career in the UFC. Cage Patatoe why all the love for the most boring fighter ever??
AlphaDog Says:
And FYI to Machida's nut hugger Meohf ! Retreating is one thing but Machida runs around the cage! He is boring to more MMA fans than you think casual or hardcore. I guess you have the spirit as well! He will never draw major PPV numbers. So you say he's the man for not getting hit! PPV will show you he will never sell! Which matters most when all is said and done! Its all about the draw and Sleepy Dragon will never hold that title.
Anonymous Says:
PATATOE
Worst bastardization of the word "Potato" I've ever seen.
AlphaDog Says:
@ anonymous !This isn't english class bitch! I'm typing fast not proof reading you bastard! We're blogging a step up from texting and chatting. Talk about MMA not grammer, another Machida nut hugger!
Anonymous Says:
There's no way AlphaDog is real... "grammer"... really?
anonymouse! Says:
Machida kicks ass. Personally, I find him very entertaining. Precision, control and dangerous execution.
I can see why some find it boring, but I reckon it's somewhat along the lines of when I was thirteen, and was much too naive to comprehend the entertainment value in anything beyond a one-hit-knockout.
Though, one-hit-knockouts never hurt...
AlphaDog Says:
Like that bitch. That was spelled just for you. Get a fuckn clue ahole. This site is about MMA!
That Angry Guy Says:
Machida is boring. Yes, he may be an "artist", but who the hell cares. People don't want to see a person run around the octagon for 15 fucking minutes, looking for a time to strike. If i wanted to see that lame shit, id watch boxing. People who have skill can work through the punches and react to them, not avoid them all together.
... Says:
No, I don't feel sorry for Thiago. Lyoto Machida is probably the most overrated MMA fighter in the history of the UFC. Dude can't knock anyone out, has more Decisions then KOs and Subs combined and only attacks his opponents in the last 30 secs of a round.
His biggest wins in the UFC were a 5-4 bum who was just hype from pride. and Tito after he was way over the hill. So you can keep saying how skilled and focused he is but the man hasn't beaten a quality opponent in about 4 years...
Thiago hasn't really beaten anyone in the Top 10 either but since he doesn't have a legion of Internet nut huggers. I hope Thiago wins.
I don't hate Lyoto. i just hate how butt hurt his fans get when someone says they don't like his style.
Bootylam! Says:
"Elusive", "technical", "slippery"... All adjectives I DON'T want to hear if I'M PAYING MONEY TO SEE A FIGHT!!!! Unlike many I actually buy the ppv's that I can because that's supporting our sport by putting my money in. You don't train to dodge, duck, run, slide, and avoid contact, you train to FIGHT, so let's see it. I've seen people compare Lyoto to Sugar Ray Leonard, but it's wrong because Sugar could stand right in front of someone and smash them if he chose, Machida hasn't demonstrated that. Like I said before, if you want "technique", go watch that Paul Mitchell shit.
Tito's Massive Skull Says:
Fantastic, Machida is fighting again. We all get to hear Rogan go on and on about how "Elusive" he is. You say elusive I say running away. No doubt he's talented but fucking hell is he boring to watch. As much as we all want to see the most talented people be champs, Dana's gotta sell PPV's. Machida doesn't have any draw because he's fucking boring. I'm getting sleepy just thinking about him.