UFC 94 Lyoto Machida vs Thiago Silva?
- Thread starter Shogun Locc
- Start date
At first I did not like his fighting style at all, but then watching his fights over I understand now how technical his standup is kind of like a wrestler being on top of a fighter on the ground, he takes his time to fight the right time to strike. He pretty much breaks you down and shuts down any kind of gameplan. His movements are so evasive to the point his opponents gets fustrated and he takes total advantage of the situation. Machida 3rd round tko....
Lyoto prepared for anything against Thiago
During an interview in the United States, Dana White gave the news that Lyoto Machida was waiting for a long time: in case of a victory over Thiago Silva at UFC 94, the fighter will finally earn his titleshot, against the also unbeaten Rashad Evans. "I’m very happy to receive this news, but I’ll try not to think about it now, because without this win (against Thiago) that won’t happen, so I won’t think about it now", said Lyoto, in conversation with TATAME.com.
Since the victory against Thierry Sokoudjou in UFC 79, Lyoto already thought he could fight for the belt, but he needed to defeat, first Tito Ortiz, and now has to pass through Thiago to get his chance. "Since this victory (against Sokoudjou) I thought I was ready to fight for the belt, but the fight against Thiago is the most important of my career now. It’s a crucial fight for me, there’s this pressure on the fight, then I would go one step at a time. First fight him, move safely, then I think about it", said Machida, not risking any prediction on how the fight will happen at January 31st, at Las Vegas.
"We talk a lot about this on training, our thought is always going to fight without predictions. We’re prepared for any situation. If the fight goes on striking we’ll do it, if goes to the ground too… I’m prepared for anything. As my father always says, there is no prediction for fights, anything can happen. If you expect something and it doesn’t happen, you get frustrated and the strategy dies, so I’m prepared for everything”, guarantees Machida.
During an interview in the United States, Dana White gave the news that Lyoto Machida was waiting for a long time: in case of a victory over Thiago Silva at UFC 94, the fighter will finally earn his titleshot, against the also unbeaten Rashad Evans. "I’m very happy to receive this news, but I’ll try not to think about it now, because without this win (against Thiago) that won’t happen, so I won’t think about it now", said Lyoto, in conversation with TATAME.com.
Since the victory against Thierry Sokoudjou in UFC 79, Lyoto already thought he could fight for the belt, but he needed to defeat, first Tito Ortiz, and now has to pass through Thiago to get his chance. "Since this victory (against Sokoudjou) I thought I was ready to fight for the belt, but the fight against Thiago is the most important of my career now. It’s a crucial fight for me, there’s this pressure on the fight, then I would go one step at a time. First fight him, move safely, then I think about it", said Machida, not risking any prediction on how the fight will happen at January 31st, at Las Vegas.
"We talk a lot about this on training, our thought is always going to fight without predictions. We’re prepared for any situation. If the fight goes on striking we’ll do it, if goes to the ground too… I’m prepared for anything. As my father always says, there is no prediction for fights, anything can happen. If you expect something and it doesn’t happen, you get frustrated and the strategy dies, so I’m prepared for everything”, guarantees Machida.
UFC 94 IN-DEPTH: LYOTO MACHIDA VS THIAGO SILVA
After Saturday night, the title picture in the UFC light heavyweight division could become a lot clearer when undefeated Brazilian fighters Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva meet in the co-main event of UFC 94. The two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 90, but injuries to both fighters nixed that potential showdown. Now they have fully healed and will meet in the Octagon with the winner potentially getting a shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship.
Striking
Machida is a karate stylist, learning the craft from his father at a young age. His striking is technical and precise, he doesn’t waste any strikes, as he lands almost everything that he throws. Although it isn’t the most exciting style to watch, Machida is a brilliant counter striker that gives most fighters fits on the feet.
Silva on the other hand is an aggressive striker that comes out looking for the kill, which is natural for him since he did train at the Chute Boxe Academy in the past. He’ll look to use the plum and land bunches of knees to throw Machida off his game. Silva will need to set the pace on the feet and not let Machida settle into his comfort zone.
These two fighters have a stark contrast in styles on the feet and it could very well be the difference in this evenly matched fight. Whoever is able to impose their style on the feet will control the pace, as the other fighter will be frustrated all night long.
Grappling and Submissions
Silva is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, but you wouldn’t know because you rarely see him go to the ground. He loves to fight on the feet. He doesn't utilize submissions all that much in his fights, but he uses his ground game to position himself to pound on his opponents as evidenced in his last two fights, where he was easily able to mount them.
The edge in submissions would have to go to Machida. When he hits the ground that is what he does best. He uses his technical ability to overwhelm his opponents, giving him openings to lock on a submission.
One thing that could be interesting in the fight is what each fighter will do if put on his back. Neither has spent that much time on their backs in previous fights and whoever is better equipped to handle a bad position on the ground will have the edge on the mat.
Octagon Control
In his past UFC bouts, Silva has always been able to control the pace of the fight with his aggressive style/ He’ll need to push the pace of the fight once again if he wants to be successful against Machida. He can’t let Machida settle into a groove of slowing the fight down, where he is able to pick his shots on the feet and control the fight with his counter striking.
Machida, on the other hand, needs to stay on the outside like he does so well, where he’ll be able to slow the pace of the fight and frustrate Silva into making a mistake. In the past, Machida has successfully been able to keep his fights at a slower pace and force his opponents to waste energy by missing strikes, therefore letting him pick them apart as they tire.
Conditioning
This could be one of the few categories in the fight where one of the fighters has a distinct advantage over the other. Silva has only gone past the first round on one occasion in the UFC and he didn’t look too hot in doing so. He gassed out, but was fortunate enough that his opponent, Tomasz Drwal, was more tired than he was. Hopefully Silva has worked on his cardio in anticipation for this fight because Machida usually sees the judges' scorecards.
In this aspect of the fight, Machida has a clear advantage because he is accustomed to going fifteen minutes in a fight. Since joining the UFC, he has gone to a decision in four out his five fights inside the Octagon without looking like he was ever tired in doing so.
If Machida is able to drag the fight past the second round and beyond, then expect him to be able to pick his shots and basically take apart a tired Silva, unless if Silva has seriously improved his conditioning.
The X Factor
Both fighters are coming off injuries and haven’t seen action since May of last year at UFC 84, where they fought in back to back fights on the main card. With that being the case, if they need a round to get some ring rust off, that will help Machida because he gets stronger in the latter rounds of the fight while Silva starts to fade.
Silva has been quite active since he started fighting in mixed martial arts, competing every couple of months and staying in shape. This will be his longest lay off to date. Machida has had long lay offs before, so he already knows how to prepare to stay in sync and not let the time off affect him in a fight.
The added pressure of a possible title shot on the line might also affect how the fighters approach the fight too. Silva might not take as many risks, while Machida might open up a bit earlier than he is accustomed to.
Keys to Success
Silva will need to be ultra aggressive in the fight, he’ll need to get on the inside and get directly into Machida’s face either with knees or punches. If he can put pressure on Machida and not let him settle into his usual groove of slowing down the fight, then he might be able to force him into making a mistake that gives him the opening to attack.
Machida needs to fight his fight, slowing down the pace of the fight to where he can start to pick apart Silva with his brilliant counter striking. He’ll become elusive on the feet, which will tire Silva since he wastes energy by missing strikes. As the fight wears on, Machida will have his choice of how the fight goes, whether it remains on the feet or on the ground.
A lot is on the line in this fight. One of the fighters will suffer the first defeat of his mixed martial arts career. The winner will more than likely be in line for a shot at the title, although UFC president Dana White on Wednesday stated that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, if he defeats Keith Jardine at UFC 96 in March, is expected to get the first shot at current light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
After Saturday night, the title picture in the UFC light heavyweight division could become a lot clearer when undefeated Brazilian fighters Lyoto Machida and Thiago Silva meet in the co-main event of UFC 94. The two were originally scheduled to meet at UFC 90, but injuries to both fighters nixed that potential showdown. Now they have fully healed and will meet in the Octagon with the winner potentially getting a shot at the UFC light heavyweight championship.
Striking
Machida is a karate stylist, learning the craft from his father at a young age. His striking is technical and precise, he doesn’t waste any strikes, as he lands almost everything that he throws. Although it isn’t the most exciting style to watch, Machida is a brilliant counter striker that gives most fighters fits on the feet.
Silva on the other hand is an aggressive striker that comes out looking for the kill, which is natural for him since he did train at the Chute Boxe Academy in the past. He’ll look to use the plum and land bunches of knees to throw Machida off his game. Silva will need to set the pace on the feet and not let Machida settle into his comfort zone.
These two fighters have a stark contrast in styles on the feet and it could very well be the difference in this evenly matched fight. Whoever is able to impose their style on the feet will control the pace, as the other fighter will be frustrated all night long.
Grappling and Submissions
Silva is a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, but you wouldn’t know because you rarely see him go to the ground. He loves to fight on the feet. He doesn't utilize submissions all that much in his fights, but he uses his ground game to position himself to pound on his opponents as evidenced in his last two fights, where he was easily able to mount them.
The edge in submissions would have to go to Machida. When he hits the ground that is what he does best. He uses his technical ability to overwhelm his opponents, giving him openings to lock on a submission.
One thing that could be interesting in the fight is what each fighter will do if put on his back. Neither has spent that much time on their backs in previous fights and whoever is better equipped to handle a bad position on the ground will have the edge on the mat.
Octagon Control
In his past UFC bouts, Silva has always been able to control the pace of the fight with his aggressive style/ He’ll need to push the pace of the fight once again if he wants to be successful against Machida. He can’t let Machida settle into a groove of slowing the fight down, where he is able to pick his shots on the feet and control the fight with his counter striking.
Machida, on the other hand, needs to stay on the outside like he does so well, where he’ll be able to slow the pace of the fight and frustrate Silva into making a mistake. In the past, Machida has successfully been able to keep his fights at a slower pace and force his opponents to waste energy by missing strikes, therefore letting him pick them apart as they tire.
Conditioning
This could be one of the few categories in the fight where one of the fighters has a distinct advantage over the other. Silva has only gone past the first round on one occasion in the UFC and he didn’t look too hot in doing so. He gassed out, but was fortunate enough that his opponent, Tomasz Drwal, was more tired than he was. Hopefully Silva has worked on his cardio in anticipation for this fight because Machida usually sees the judges' scorecards.
In this aspect of the fight, Machida has a clear advantage because he is accustomed to going fifteen minutes in a fight. Since joining the UFC, he has gone to a decision in four out his five fights inside the Octagon without looking like he was ever tired in doing so.
If Machida is able to drag the fight past the second round and beyond, then expect him to be able to pick his shots and basically take apart a tired Silva, unless if Silva has seriously improved his conditioning.
The X Factor
Both fighters are coming off injuries and haven’t seen action since May of last year at UFC 84, where they fought in back to back fights on the main card. With that being the case, if they need a round to get some ring rust off, that will help Machida because he gets stronger in the latter rounds of the fight while Silva starts to fade.
Silva has been quite active since he started fighting in mixed martial arts, competing every couple of months and staying in shape. This will be his longest lay off to date. Machida has had long lay offs before, so he already knows how to prepare to stay in sync and not let the time off affect him in a fight.
The added pressure of a possible title shot on the line might also affect how the fighters approach the fight too. Silva might not take as many risks, while Machida might open up a bit earlier than he is accustomed to.
Keys to Success
Silva will need to be ultra aggressive in the fight, he’ll need to get on the inside and get directly into Machida’s face either with knees or punches. If he can put pressure on Machida and not let him settle into his usual groove of slowing down the fight, then he might be able to force him into making a mistake that gives him the opening to attack.
Machida needs to fight his fight, slowing down the pace of the fight to where he can start to pick apart Silva with his brilliant counter striking. He’ll become elusive on the feet, which will tire Silva since he wastes energy by missing strikes. As the fight wears on, Machida will have his choice of how the fight goes, whether it remains on the feet or on the ground.
A lot is on the line in this fight. One of the fighters will suffer the first defeat of his mixed martial arts career. The winner will more than likely be in line for a shot at the title, although UFC president Dana White on Wednesday stated that Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, if he defeats Keith Jardine at UFC 96 in March, is expected to get the first shot at current light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans.
Thiago Silva: I'll be the last one standing at UFC 94
LAS VEGAS - Lyoto Machida (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is elusive, that Thiago Silva (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) knows.
But while many MMA observers continue to debate whether Machida's defensive style is an impressive display of technical prowess or a prime example of avoiding a fight, Silva has his mind made up.
"I know a lot of fans don't like Machida's style because he's always running and winning the fights by decision," Silva recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I don't like it either."
The two undefeated Brazilian light-heavyweights will meet Saturday in the co-main event of "UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" in Las Vegas. Silva believes the contrast between his aggressive, attacking style and Machida's defensive, elusive gameplan will make for a complete test.
"I definitely study my opponents," Silva said. "I'm a complete fighter, and I can adjust to whatever position or situation comes in the fight. I'm the kind of fighter that is always open to learn more. You will see a new Thiago Silva on Saturday night.
"But I think this fight is going to be more psychological than physical. I'm ready for that. I trained a lot, and I won't let this fight go to a decision."
Machida has established himself as contender in the UFC's 205-pound division with five straight wins in the UFC. But four of those wins -- and eight of Machida's 13 career victories -- have come by decision. Silva doesn't believe that style is acceptable for a potential UFC champion.
And while Machida has been frequently mentioned for a potential shot at Rashad Evans' UFC title with a win on Saturday night, no such deal has been offered to Silva. But the 26-year-old said he intends to expose the holes in Machida's game -- and earn his own title shot in the process.
"People have made Lyoto into being something special, and he's really not," Silva said. "Comparing him to me, Lyoto has won most of his fights by decision. If you see my record, I've won 10 of my 13 fights by knockout.
"I feel have the right to fight for the title after this fight, and I'm going to knock Machida out so I can show that I am the next one in line for the title."
Silva and Machida were scheduled to meet at UFC 89 in October 2008. That bout was scrapped when Silva was forced to withdraw after injuring his back in training. Silva said the injury will not be a factor on Saturday and that the extra time only served to make him a better fighter.
"I had an inflammation of the muscles in my back," Silva said. "That was the reason I had to cancel the fight. I had to stop my training to take care of that. But now I am 1,000 percent ready for the fight.
"It was just rehabilitation, and I'll actually be even better than I would have been. I took the time to train and take care of my injuries. I'm ready for this fight."
Silva has fought on the main card twice already in his UFC career. And while the matchup with Machida will be the Brazilian's first time in a co-main event bout, Silva said he is comfortable with the situation.
"There's no pressure by being in the co-main event before Penn vs. St. Pierre," Silva said. "This is the fifth time I've fought in the UFC. I'm prepared for this fight. It's just extra motivation.
"I'm happy. I want to fight right now."
Silva has won four straight contests since his May 2007 UFC debut. All four wins have come by stoppage, including three in the first round. And while Silva has seen the third round only once in his 13 career bouts -- compared with Machida's nine visits to the final period in that same span -- the American Top Team product said he is prepared to go the distance with "The Dragon."
"I am prepared to fight the full three rounds and go after him the whole time," Silva said. "I'm going to the octagon to fight. If I need to go after him for three rounds, I can. If that happens, I'll win a decision.
"But I'm going for the knockout. The way I see it, there will be just one fighter left standing on Saturday."
LAS VEGAS - Lyoto Machida (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) is elusive, that Thiago Silva (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) knows.
But while many MMA observers continue to debate whether Machida's defensive style is an impressive display of technical prowess or a prime example of avoiding a fight, Silva has his mind made up.
"I know a lot of fans don't like Machida's style because he's always running and winning the fights by decision," Silva recently told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "I don't like it either."
The two undefeated Brazilian light-heavyweights will meet Saturday in the co-main event of "UFC 94: St. Pierre vs. Penn II" in Las Vegas. Silva believes the contrast between his aggressive, attacking style and Machida's defensive, elusive gameplan will make for a complete test.
"I definitely study my opponents," Silva said. "I'm a complete fighter, and I can adjust to whatever position or situation comes in the fight. I'm the kind of fighter that is always open to learn more. You will see a new Thiago Silva on Saturday night.
"But I think this fight is going to be more psychological than physical. I'm ready for that. I trained a lot, and I won't let this fight go to a decision."
Machida has established himself as contender in the UFC's 205-pound division with five straight wins in the UFC. But four of those wins -- and eight of Machida's 13 career victories -- have come by decision. Silva doesn't believe that style is acceptable for a potential UFC champion.
And while Machida has been frequently mentioned for a potential shot at Rashad Evans' UFC title with a win on Saturday night, no such deal has been offered to Silva. But the 26-year-old said he intends to expose the holes in Machida's game -- and earn his own title shot in the process.
"People have made Lyoto into being something special, and he's really not," Silva said. "Comparing him to me, Lyoto has won most of his fights by decision. If you see my record, I've won 10 of my 13 fights by knockout.
"I feel have the right to fight for the title after this fight, and I'm going to knock Machida out so I can show that I am the next one in line for the title."
Silva and Machida were scheduled to meet at UFC 89 in October 2008. That bout was scrapped when Silva was forced to withdraw after injuring his back in training. Silva said the injury will not be a factor on Saturday and that the extra time only served to make him a better fighter.
"I had an inflammation of the muscles in my back," Silva said. "That was the reason I had to cancel the fight. I had to stop my training to take care of that. But now I am 1,000 percent ready for the fight.
"It was just rehabilitation, and I'll actually be even better than I would have been. I took the time to train and take care of my injuries. I'm ready for this fight."
Silva has fought on the main card twice already in his UFC career. And while the matchup with Machida will be the Brazilian's first time in a co-main event bout, Silva said he is comfortable with the situation.
"There's no pressure by being in the co-main event before Penn vs. St. Pierre," Silva said. "This is the fifth time I've fought in the UFC. I'm prepared for this fight. It's just extra motivation.
"I'm happy. I want to fight right now."
Silva has won four straight contests since his May 2007 UFC debut. All four wins have come by stoppage, including three in the first round. And while Silva has seen the third round only once in his 13 career bouts -- compared with Machida's nine visits to the final period in that same span -- the American Top Team product said he is prepared to go the distance with "The Dragon."
"I am prepared to fight the full three rounds and go after him the whole time," Silva said. "I'm going to the octagon to fight. If I need to go after him for three rounds, I can. If that happens, I'll win a decision.
"But I'm going for the knockout. The way I see it, there will be just one fighter left standing on Saturday."