Rise Through The Ranks
Machida made his UFC debut on the preliminary card of UFC 67 against Sam Hoger and won by unanimous decision. He followed up with a main-card debut at UFC 70 and won a unanimous decision against David Heath. He next faced judo practitioner and Pride Fighting Championship veteran Kazuhiro Nakamura at UFC 76. Machida won by unanimous decision and Nakamura would later test positive for marijuana.At UFC 79, Machida faced the highly touted Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou, a judo practitioner who was making his UFC debut after two quick upset victories over Pride veterans Antonio Rogerio Nogueira and Ricardo Arona. He scored the first stoppage of his UFC career by submitting Sokoudjou with an arm triangle choke in the second round. Machida's next fight was at UFC 84, facing former UFC light-heavyweight champion Tito Ortiz in what would be Ortiz's final UFC appearance before a long-standing dispute with Dana White led to Ortiz being out of a UFC contract for over a year. Machida frustrated Ortiz with lateral movement and counterstriking while successfully defending against the former champion's takedowns. In the closing minute of the first round Ortiz got Machida in a clinch, but Machida took the wrestler Ortiz down, move to side control and had Ortiz in a modified crucifix position and began to punch Ortiz's unprotected face. The round however ended before the ref stopped the fight. In the final seconds of the third round, Machida landed a flying knee to the body of Ortiz and knocked him to the mat. As Machida moved in to finish the fight, Ortiz almost locked in a triangle choke before transitioning to an armbar attempt. Machida managed to escape and win a unanimous decision, and all three judges scored the fight 30–27 in his favor. Machida was originally scheduled to fight fellow undefeated Brazilian Thiago Silva at UFC 89 in Birmingham, England, however, the bout was postponed due to a back injury sustained by Silva. The fight ultimately took place at UFC 94. After scoring several trips and knockdowns, Machida managed to knock out the grounded Silva in the final second of the first round. Machida's first UFC knockout earned Knockout of the Night Honors and a $65,000 bonus. In June 2009, Lyoto Machida was nominated for the 2009 ESPYS "Best Fighter" category, along with Anderson Silva, Manny Pacquiao, and Shane Mosley. However, Machida didn't gain enough votes and the award was won instead by pro boxer Manny Pacquiao.  |  Machida met then light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans in another clash of undefeated fighters at UFC 98. Machida scored an early knockdown in the first-round, while Evans struggled to make any progress. In the second-round, Evans experienced a flurry of accurate punches by Machida rendering him unconscious before hitting the canvas. Machida was subsequently crowned the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion; his performance earning him Knockout of the Night Honors with a $60,000 bonus for the second time in as many fights. This victory continued his undefeated streak in his MMA career and was also Evans' first career loss. Machida was set to face Quinton Jackson in his first title defense, but Jackson opted to coach the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter instead and then face fellow coach Rashad Evans. Pride Fighting Championship's 2005 Middleweight Grand Prix winner Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was then selected as Machida's first title defense which took place on October 24, 2009 at UFC 104, with Machida winning a unanimous decision victory, 48-47 from all three judges, with one stating that Machida "landed the more damaging strikes throughout the fight" and was the more "effective aggressor". The decision resulted in controversy, however, with many viewers and prominent MMA personalities feeling that Shogun had won the fight. Due to the close decision, Machida is now scheduled to face Rua in a rematch for the title, at UFC 113 on May 8, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.The rematch was set for seven months after the original due to an injury Machida suffered in his hand during the first fight with Rua . |
