Lyoto Machida discusses his losing streak, says "UFC won't feel sorry for me"
Posted on February 17, 2011, 11:05 PM by Joey Santosus"UFC considers the incomes a lot, the profits, and if I’m not pleasing the fans anymore, they won’t feel sorry for me. That’s why I’ve always invested in me a lot, and it won’t be any different now. If I did a lot, I’ll do a lot more now. I’ll give my best trying to win. If I have to bring the best professionals, I will. I’ll be far, geographically, but I can bring the guys to help me here in Belem."
"We’re working a lot on my conditioning, because we know Couture is much resistant. I believe we can win, we have many weapons. Despite he’s on a certain age, he’s tough and experienced, and he’s been fighting guys like Minotauro, and he did tough fights and he’s tough for anyone. - For complete interview by Guilherme Cruz, visit Tatame.com
After starting his UFC career with a dominant eight-fight win streak, during which he captured and defended the Light Heavyweight title, Lyoto Machida suffered back to back losses in 2010. The first came in a rematch with current champ Mauricio "Shougun" Rua at UFC 113, where Machida was knocked out in dramatic fashion in the opening round. In his following outing, back in November, he dropped a close split decision to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson to make it two in a row. "The Dragon" now finds himself in what UFC President Dana White has called a "must win situation" going into his April match with veteran Randy Couture.
UFC 129 is set for April 30th from the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The stacked card will be headlined by a Welterweight title clash between division Champion Georges St. Pierre and challenger Jake Shields, while the co-main event will feature Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo defending against Canada's own Mark Hominick.
Comments
I got the Dragon in this one.
Yeah I think Machida will pull this one out. Both are good fighters, but I believe Machida will win by TKO.
Dana would be a fool to cut The Dragon and if he did, it would be a HUGE gain for Strikeforce.
I dont' think Dana could cut Machida. Machida can still fight with Rashad, Rampage, Bader etc. He can beat them all. Look at Tito Ortiz, he still there. Dana is not that stupid.
Once you get up to Machidas level, you can't start fighting bums again. Liddel can beat 90% of the 205ers still aswell, but the only fights he can really fight in that make sense are that top 10% that can knock him out everytime.
@UG
Maaaan he would look really weird in SF! He would dominate that promotion.
mousasi vs machida, can you say fireworks!
I know man, but I really don't like the way Dana treats his fighters. Sometimes I can have mad love for Dana, and there are times where I really dislike him.
Scott Coker is probably praying for Machida to lose right about now lol.
I still haven't forgotten how he did Gerald Harris after 3 KO wins and 1 decision loss.
@UG
Haha you are probably right. I agree with you about Dana. He reminds me of all the bosses I've ever had. He has his favorites that he treats like gold. As for the others it depends on how much money he can make off of them. Some fighters are just another employee.
Machidas biggest weakness is his own mind. When he believes in himself, doesn't try to please fans, doesn't second guess himself, and doesn't hold back, he's definitely a scary and intimidating force, certainly capable of getting and keeping the title in the hardest division.
captain America by decision.
yes both are good fighters. but if the dragon is looking down on couture only because of his age and not coutures skills! he may be looking in the wrong direction in winning this important fight.
Yeah Dana might just be putting pressure on Machida to perform well and most importantly, get a finish. I'd love to see Randy win again and get another title shot but I have a feeling that his chin will let him down in this fight.
Really Machida is 0-3 in my book this a real imprtant fight for him, and I can see him really hurting Randy like Vera did.
yeah the first fight win Shogun is a lost to me too .
But i see Machida making a big statement vs Couture
As great as Couture is he is way too slow for Machida and
hes TakeDown Defense is great! i see a TKO win for the Dragon!
Randy should have retired with a win!
Captain America you should not be forgotten!
win or lose.
If you wanna count that, I can easily say that Fedor really lost the Arona fight, Shields lost the Kampmann fight, and Garcia lost the Phan fight. We as fans know who the real victors were. Too bad MMA judges suck.
Shields did loose to Kampmann
Arona was Fedors first loss in my opinion too.
Exactly. Been saying it for years and I always catch hell from the NH association
I looked into this and apparently the fight org RINGS (the org in which arona fought fedor) had different rules at that time. They also eliminated strikes to the head on the ground essentially taking away fedors gnp. Mounts and takedowns counted for nothing unless there were submissions attempts which fedor had more of im guessing? I havent looked into the fight in detail but that may explain some questions? Fedor came into that fight with a better game plan for the fight orgs rules.
note that I know shields got the win in the fight, but I thought he lost by a considerable margin
Just because someone doesn't fight with the style you prefer doesn't mean they lost. There are to many fans like yourself that know nothing about the sport. Either you're saying that you know he won, but you don't like it, or you're admitting that you do not understand MMA and how the sport is scored.
Which guy are you?
Ye Machida uses Sumo techniques which is so rare. Rahsad couldn't get him down and Shogun tried but taken down instead. Rampage did get him down from the clinch but I doubt Machida was expecting it. I just hope Randy doesn't get hurt too bad by Machida
Man... I'd just hate to see him get kicked out of the UFC.
Me too. He was the biggest thing when he became champ and now the UFC treats him like an afterthought.
These kind of fights where people count Randy out is the kind of fights he pulls out a win and he's been hinting about fighting Machida before he got the title from Rashad. Im pretty sure Randy has got something for Machida.
I agree with that as well. Whenever you think "he's too much for Randy" he ends ups winning or making it a hell of a fight.
i will admit right now that i am counting randy out. if machida somehow loses i will throw myself through my familyroom window
@jesse
I will be expecting you to record this and post it in 2.0 haha.
the ef?
who deleted my comment?
it wasn't bad, i'm just saying machida's engrish is confusing. i'd rather him speak portuguese and have it translated.
he may not be the most entertaining fighter in the ufc,
but given an opponent willing to trade punches (see. r. evans),
it would always turn out to be an entertaining fight.
imo machida still has a fan draw (esp. mma fans who would like to think they know more in the sport, and don't really root for the popular guys such as a.silva, yeah we all have that friend. )
and it would be silly to cut him off (supposing) he would lose.
are you serious?? if that happens ill go all the way to minnesota and attempt to bum brock lesnar and accept what happens should i fail.... just because randy tapped coleman and bjj legend james toney dont think he will tap legit black belt in machida...... this fight is tailor made for machida to get back on winning ways and retire randy... i love randy but the ufc has got all they can from him and its almost over now...
LMAO james toney, bjj legend, awesome
Randy got this. brazilins dont kno how to wrestle its that simple!
come on man almost every high level bjj competitor supplements their game with wrestling. i like randy too and hope he wins but that statement is just ignorant
doubt they'd cut him for 3 losses, not when the first loss came while he was champ, any loss streak that includes losing a belt should get a 4th chance
It'd actually be cool to see Machida go to strikeforce. But i doubt UFC would cut him, and if they do, then wow.
Should be 3 loses in a row though, the Rampage lose was really close but he won 2-1.
Machida via Decision or KO in the 2nd/3rd.
Randy via Machida already losing this fight mentally. It seems like his mind is on getting cut instead of beating Randy.
Everybody forgets about Machida just because he lost to Shogun and barely lost to Rampage. He will regain respect when he's bitch slapping Randy's face with the top of his foot.
I think Machida is more likely to win this, but I won't count Couture out. A loss for Machida here would be really devestating to his career, and it would sky rocket Couture's once again.
As a fan of The UFC...
On the off chance the Machida loses to Randy, I cannot see how The UFC could cut him; can't happen. The UFC cannot afford to start allowing quality like LM to go wondering off to StrikeForce. Cutting a guy like Machida is not the same thing as cutting a Jardine, Vera or Cote. Hopefully Dana knows this.
As a fan of MMA...
I could care less if The UFC cuts him, because he'll end up in StrikeForce; with some of my other favorite fighters. The fans will still get to see him, StrikeForce would be better and stronger for it and The UFC, less. I can live with that.
i honeslty feel sorry for couture. hes a 47 yearold wrestler whos lost most of his explosivnes to take people down, against a 32 yearold karate kickboxer with decent wrestling and bjj. i also think couture can not take the amount of punishmen he could 5 or 10 years ago. i predict machida will win by landing one of his vicious knees to the body, folding couture and finishing with a few punches on the ground.
Machida has always been a tad over-rated in my book. Randy could pull a decision in this one, but Machida will probably be too fast for Randy's takedowns n KO him.
weak this machida lovers
Machida should train elusiveness from Mike Tyson, not Seagal
Machida should train with GSP and his team. Great wrestling.
16 fight win streak, not 8.
its sad but true, this is a business, and for the exciting point of view, machida isnt a fan favorite. He is one of the most effective fighters but this isnt enough nowadays. Its just the opposite of rampage, not so vitorious fighter but as he delivers good fightes he has all benefites ufc can give,
hope randy takes this guy out, never been a fan kinda boring and gotta rute for the natural
mark my words in the highly unlikely situation machida loses he will not be cut soley for the reaso the ufc wont want him to go to strikeforce. think tito ortiz hes back in the ufc only because they didnt want a high profile fighter to jump ship to the strikeforce
Machida can not lose this unless he lets himself get hugged the entire fight that being said Machida by first round KO and Randy really did loose to Vera