Lyoto Machida
From Mixed Martial Arts Wiki
Lyoto Carvalho Machida (born May 30, 1978) is a Japanese-Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter who fights as a light heavyweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and is the current UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. As of June 2009, Machida is undefeated in his professional MMA career, and in his UFC career has yet to lose a round. He is currently ranked as the #1 light-heavyweight fighter in the world and the #4 pound-for-pound fighter by Sherdog.
Lyoto represents the emergence of Shotokan Karate and related practices as a successful fighting style within MMA competition.
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Machida was born in the city of Salvador as the third son of the highly ranked head of the Brazilian branch of the Japan Karate Association, Shotokan karate master Yoshizo Machida. Growing up in Belém, Machida began training in karate at the age of three, and earned his black belt at the age of thirteen. He also began training in sumo at twelve and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at fifteen. He won a number of amateur karate tournaments, including the 2001 Pan American Karate tournament.
He was the runner-up in the 2000 Brazilian Sumo Championships in the 115 kg division. As an adult, he became Brazilian Champion twice, and placed second in the South American Championship. He defeated American black belt Jiu-Jitsu fighter Rafael Lovato Jr. at L.A. Sub X. In addition to his sumo and karate achievements, he has a college degree in Physical Education. Lyoto's brother, Shinzo, is a Shotokan vice-champion (Australia 2006), losing only to number-one ranked Shotokan master Koji Ogata. Lyoto and Shinzo fought in a Karate Final 10 years ago in which Lyoto gave Shinzo a cheek scar that still exists today. His other brothers include Kenzo Machida, a TV journalist for one of Brazil's biggest TV stations, Take Machida, and adopted brother Francisco Machida.
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In college, Machida met Japanese pro wrestler and promoter Antonio Inoki. Because he saw potential in Machida, Inoki took him as a protégé and billed him as an upcoming star. Machida continued training by taking up Muay Thai in Thailand and wrestling at the New Japan Pro Wrestling dojo in Tokyo. Japanese media soon dubbed him "The Second Inoki." Machida made his MMA debut in Inoki's New Japan Pro Wrestling: Ultimate Crush on May 2, 2003, where he defeated journeyman Pancrase fighter Kengo Watanabe by decision. He looked more comfortable in his follow-up fight against future The Ultimate Fighter 1 runner-up Stephan Bonnar, whom he defeated by cut stoppage. In his third fight, he faced 12–0 UFC veteran Rich Franklin as an underdog at Inoki Bom-ba-ye 2003. Machida knocked out Franklin with strikes early in the second round.
At 3–0, he began to fight in K-1's early MMA efforts, with wins against two high-ranked K-1 kickboxers, Michael McDonald and Sam Greco. In his last match with the K-1 organization, K-1 Hero's 1, he faced the UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn, who was considered to be one of the top pound-for-pound fighters at the time, but who came to the fight at a significant weight disadvantage. Machida landed the cleaner shots en route to a decision, but did not gain much recognition for the victory due to his inability to finish the smaller fighter.
After permanently splitting with Inoki's failing promotion in early 2006, Machida signed with a newly revitalized World Fighting Alliance and began to compete in the United States. In his American debut, Machida defeated Vernon White by unanimous decision at the WFA: King of the Streets event in Inglewood, California. After the WFA went out of business for the second time, the UFC acquired Machida's contract.
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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 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, however, 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. To this day, Machida has not lost a fight in the UFC. In fact, he has not lost a single recorded round.
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.
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Machida met ex-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 turned it down to coach the tenth season of The Ultimate Fighter 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.
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Machida uses a unique style that combines elements from his diverse training background. Often described as "elusive," Machida relies on cautious and precise counter-striking that frustrates his opponents into making mistakes. Machida has earned considerable respect from MMA fans, fighters, and commentators for his effectiveness and winning ways. At the same time, his cerebral and conservative style is sometimes deemed boring and unsatisfying to watch. Machida has drawn fire from fans, and criticism from MMA commentators for his limited aggression and many decision victories. In response to these criticisms, Machida said, "If you don't like it, sorry. I always try to win." He also stated that he believes fans are coming to appreciate the efficiency of his style just like they came to appreciate Royce Gracie's jiu-jitsu.
Machida defied expectations at UFC 94, where he earned a "Knockout of the Night" honor for his first-round stoppage of then undefeated Thiago Silva. Commentators hailed the knockout as a step in the right direction toward building interest in him as a potential champion. In addition, Machida showcased his improved English skills during interviews for the event, which gave him the ability to connect with fans more easily. Machida's limited English was previously seen as a marketing liability.
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Machida's wife is named Fabyola. The couple have a son named Taiyo, who was born in September 2008.
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| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 15 matches | 15 wins | 0 losses |
| By knockout | 5 | 0 |
| By submission | 2 | 0 |
| By decision | 8 | 0 |
| No contests | 0 | |
| Result [1] | Record [2] | Opponent [3] | Method [4] | Event [5] | Date [6] | Round [7] | Time [8] | Location [9] | Notes [10] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mauricio Rua | UFC 104 | 02009-10-24 October 24, 2009 | Los Angeles, CA | For the UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. | |||||
| Win | 15–0 | Rashad Evans | KO (Punches) | UFC 98: Evans vs. Machida | 02009-05-23 May 23, 2009 | 2 | 3:57 | Las Vegas, NV | Won UFC Light Heavyweight Championship. Won Knockout of the Night Honors. |
| Win | 14–0 | Thiago Silva | KO (Punch) | UFC 94: St-Pierre vs. Penn 2 | 02009-01-31 January 31, 2009 | 1 | 4:59 | Las Vegas, Nevada | Won Knockout of The Night Honors. |
| Win | 13–0 | Tito Ortiz | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 84: Ill Will | 02008-05-24 May 24, 2008 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Win | 12–0 | Sokoudjou | Submission (Arm Triangle Choke) | UFC 79: Nemesis | 02007-12-29 December 29, 2007 | 2 | 4:20 | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
| Win | 11–0 | Kazuhiro Nakamura | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 76: Knockout | 02007-09-22 September 22, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Anaheim, California | |
| Win | 10–0 | David Heath | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 70: Nations Collide | 02007-04-21 April 21, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Manchester, England | |
| Win | 9–0 | Sam Hoger | Decision (Unanimous) | UFC 67: All or Nothing | 02007-02-03 February 3, 2007 | 3 | 5:00 | Las Vegas, Nevada | UFC debut |
| Win | 8–0 | Vernon White | Decision (Unanimous) | WFA: King of the Streets | 02006-07-22 July 22, 2006 | 3 | 5:00 | Los Angeles, CA | |
| Win | 7–0 | Dimitri Wanderley | TKO (Exhaustion) | Jungle Fight 6 | 02006-04-29 April 29, 2006 | 3 | 3:24 | Rio De Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 6–0 | B.J. Penn | Decision (Unanimous) | K-1 Hero's 1 | 02005-03-26 March 26, 2005 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | Machida fought at a weight of 102 kg (220 lb). Penn weighed in at 86.5 kg (191 lb).[42] |
| Win | 5–0 | Sam Greco | Decision (Split) | K-1 MMA ROMANEX | 02004-05-22 May 22, 2004 | 3 | 5:00 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 4–0 | Michael McDonald | Submission (Forearm Choke) | K-1 Beast 2004 | 02004-03-14 March 14, 2004 | 1 | 2:30 | Saitama, Japan | |
| Win | 3–0 | Rich Franklin | TKO (Strikes) | Inoki Bom-Ba-Ye 2003-Inoki Festival | 02003-12-31 December 31, 2003 | 2 | 1:03 | Kobe, Japan | |
| Win | 2–0 | Stephan Bonnar | TKO (Cut) | Jungle Fight 1 | 02003-09-13 September 13, 2003 | 1 | 4:21 | Rio De Janeiro, Brazil | |
| Win | 1–0 | Kengo Watanabe | Decision (Unanimous) | NJPW: Ultimate Crush | 02003-05-02 May 2, 2003 | 3 | 5:00 | Tokyo, Japan |
