yes..bring the african jungle into the UFC, can’t wait

Machida all the way

Nice! Good news.

YAY!!!!!

Sokoudjou will kill him if they fight!!

I’m one of the few who post here that actually LIKE Machida. I like Soko too but I’d hate to see Machida lose his momentum by being on the receiving end of Soko’s seriously heavy hands. I dont think Lyoto’s unbeatable but I would like to see him mix it up with the Top 5 1st because it wont hurt him quite as much if he loses there. Yeah he doesnt finish fights but its not due to lack of trying (vs Nakamura). He’s a very technical fighter with a supernatural counter-striking ability. Sometimes its almost like he’s telepathic in the way he beats his opponents to the punch.

With the above being said, I’m incredibly impressed with what I saw so far with Soko. Just like any other new face with an abundant amount of potential, I need to see him fight through adversity before I co-sign. Either way, his devastating KO power makes him a threat to ANYONE.

Machida by DEC

the light heavy’s are soooo deep in the UFC…this is just another amazing addition…best division by far

It would be a sick fight, I’m not really sure who would come out on top- Sokoudjou seems more powerful but Machida might be more skilled. Sokoudjou is definitely a more flashy fighter and most people would probably prefer to see Lyoto get KO’d. I’ll be happy if it happens but as long as they get Sokoudjou in the UFC the fights will sound good to me.

YES! This is great. All this time I thought that he had signed with K-1 and that the UFC wouldn’t be able to get him any longer. Well, actually I shouldn’t speak yet, because nothing has been signed. But I don’t even care if they have Soko fight Ravishing Red in his first fight, I’d just be so excited that he is in the UFC. However, a fight with Machida would be a sight to see. The counter striker vs the haymaker. It would be interesting. Any single punch thrown by Soko can end a fight. The same can not be said for the Decision Man – Lyoto Machida.

Soko in the first

YAY!

Nice. Cant wait!

Awesome news..

i think if the ufc wants to showcase soko’s talent they should match him up with somebody who likes to bang such as stephan bonnar. i think lyoto would pick him apart just like he does everybody else. I think a fight with stephan would be perfect for his first fight bonnar is a very popular fighter who is known to stand and bang while more than likely he will lose to soko although i could see this fight turning out like griffin shogun.

let’s hope it’s true

It’s about time. Way to go buddy. Longterm is what counts.

Soko vs Bonnar

Do it now!

John, Mania, and all Maniacs,

I know that you (John) have been asking about Couture/Big Nog like every day now. I just read some news that on yesterday’s conference call, Dana White said that he HAS offered Randy the fight with Big Nog. He has yet to get a response back from Randy.

Soku will smash him!

Soku will be tested..The trasition into the UFC isn’t as easy as the Pride fighters thought it would be. Rampage and hendo are the only fighters that make it look easy!
But fight on Soku..Best of luck to ya!

Soko vs Bonnar

Do it now!

 yes perfect fresh meat for Bonnar, Soko takes it though.

Soko vs Houston Alexander.

Dana,

Please make this happen.

Sincerely,

casual_mma fan

Machida by UD

I don’t see anybody being able to defeat Lyoto Machida in this division. His style is so boring he might put other fighters to sleep.

All kidding aside, I like Lyoto Machida, and I don’t think a lot of people style wise can defeat him. He is a counter puncher who has pretty good take down skills and submissions.

I think Soko could be one of the few guys that could possibly beat him, but I think Lyoto is the most underrated fighter bar none in the UFC Light Heavyweight Division.

Then Wilson Gouevia..

I think Houston Alexander vs Soko is the best possible match up out there…

First
They are both big and throw heavy hands…that equals out to somebody getting KTFO. Which translates into $$$ and ratings.

Second
They are both trying to solidify there names in the ranks of the 205lbs weight class…so I think its perfect. If Soko wins he steals all the momentum that Houston has built up and Soko would only be one fight away from a title shot. He would have to beat someone in the Top 5 and then he would get rampage.
If Houston wins then I say give that man a title shot!

Either way that match-up is win win for the UFC…cause if Soko loses his first match in the UFC, the UFC can fall back on “Houston Alexander is just that good”…which would let them segway right into the title fight hype.

looking forward to a scrap!

Sokoudjou is bad ass! He will tear Machida in two! Man the card for UFC 79 would be out of hand with this fight!

I still want to see more out of this guy, what has he shown on the ground? i know he has amazing judo and really heavy hands but can he hold his own with a top jiu jitsu guy? how is his takedown defense? His first 2 wins would indicate that he has limitless star potential but machida off the bat could fuck this guy up. Machida is the most frustrating fighter in that division, he wont bang with this guy. Arona and Nogueira were willing to stand in the pocket, Machida is much smarter as we know and works his counter striking from all angles. The Bonnar idea was better, and I think that Machida could mess up Soko’s momentum, we shall see….Mania any updates with the situation?

I think Houston Alexander vs Soko is the best possible match up out there…

First
They are both big and throw heavy hands…that equals out to somebody getting KTFO. Which translates into $$$ and ratings.

Second
They are both trying to solidify there names in the ranks of the 205lbs weight class…so I think its perfect. If Soko wins he steals all the momentum that Houston has built up and Soko would only be one fight away from a title shot. He would have to beat someone in the Top 5 and then he would get rampage.
If Houston wins then I say give that man a title shot!

Either way that match-up is win win for the UFC…cause if Soko loses his first match in the UFC, the UFC can fall back on “Houston Alexander is just that good”…which would let them segway right into the title fight hype.

Damn dude that was good… I was thinkin Tito since I figured Tito would probably assume that Soku is a chump in his way and b/c Tito got something to prove…BUT… I think fuck that now I would rather see Heavy hittin Houston vs. Heavy hittin Soku instead… MMaayynn you nailed that shit right on the bud..

“I like Soko too but I’d hate to see Machida lose his momentum by being on the receiving end of Soko’s seriously heavy hands. I dont think Lyoto’s unbeatable but I would like to see him mix it up with the Top 5 1st because it wont hurt him quite as much if he loses there.”
-——————————————————

Exactly. Machida needs this fight, he needs the name as an opponent, HOWEVER if he gets KTFO, we will never see this highly talented although often less then entertaining fighter again. Look at the Okami v McDonald fight. Both top fighters in MW, but pushed off the main PPV card, because Joe Silva says Okami is boring. (he’s not exactly wrong though).

I like Machida, i’d like to see him and Anderson Silva meet at a catch weight and get it on… or Machida could cut way down and challenge the belt.

Then again, If Machida pulls out a Decision over Soko, is Rampage next?

WELCOME SOKO WELCOME…good job on the UFC for this.

id like to see soko fight a quality opponent for his first fight but not a top 10 lhw. maybe a tito/bonnar type test?

I hope this fight does go down. Sokoudjou has a couple of huge wins and Machida may be boring, but he’s amazing technically.

Are you serious? I can’t believe how deep this 205 division is getting. Are there any top 20 LHW’s the UFC doesn’t have?

I think you could fill every single card with 2-3 great LHW matchups and still have guys to spare.

I’m one of the few who post here that actually LIKE Machida. I like Soko too but I’d hate to see Machida lose his momentum by being on the receiving end of Soko’s seriously heavy hands. I dont think Lyoto’s unbeatable but I would like to see him mix it up with the Top 5 1st because it wont hurt him quite as much if he loses there. Yeah he doesnt finish fights but its not due to lack of trying (vs Nakamura). He’s a very technical fighter with a supernatural counter-striking ability. Sometimes its almost like he’s telepathic in the way he beats his opponents to the punch.

With the above being said, I’m incredibly impressed with what I saw so far with Soko. Just like any other new face with an abundant amount of potential, I need to see him fight through adversity before I co-sign. Either way, his devastating KO power makes him a threat to ANYONE.

Great minds think alike. I too am a fan of Machida’s, but also admire the explosiveness of Soku. I can’t understand how people dislike Machida so much. He doesn’t lay n’ pray, he strikes. Almost every time he body kicks, it echoes throughout the arena, but people boo like five seconds later.

I think both of these guys have the potential to crack the top five. But Machida definitely deserves a shot at someone already there. Let Soku prove himself inside the cage first. He got rocked his last time there.

This guy will become the LHW Champ is he remains focused. Amazing fighter

Great minds think alike. I too am a fan of Machida’s, but also admire the explosiveness of Soku. I can’t understand how people dislike Machida so much. He doesn’t lay n’ pray, he strikes. Almost every time he body kicks, it echoes throughout the arena, but people boo like five seconds later.

I think both of these guys have the potential to crack the top five. But Machida definitely deserves a shot at someone already there. Let Soku prove himself inside the cage first. He got rocked his last time there.

Apparantly great minds do think alike! Thank goodness there’s at least one other person who can appreciate the subtle nuances of striking. He may not have brutal KO power but Lyoto is definately the most technical striker in the 205 division.

What the hell is wrong with the skin around his nipples?

What the hell is wrong with the skin around his nipples?

         He’s african. racist.

“I like Soko too but I’d hate to see Machida lose his momentum by being on the receiving end of Soko’s seriously heavy hands. I dont think Lyoto’s unbeatable but I would like to see him mix it up with the Top 5 1st because it wont hurt him quite as much if he loses there.”
-——————————————————

Exactly.

Machida needs this fight, he needs the name as an opponent, HOWEVER if he gets KTFO, we will never see this highly talented although often less then entertaining fighter again.

Look at the Okami v McDonald fight. Both top fighters in MW, but pushed off the main PPV card, because Joe Silva says Okami is boring. (he’s not exactly wrong though).

I like Machida, i’d like to see him and Anderson Silva meet at a catch weight and get it on… or Machida could cut way down and challenge the belt.

Then again, If Machida pulls out a Decision over Soko, is Rampage next?

WELCOME SOKO WELCOME…good job on the UFC for this.

Silva and Machida both come from the Black House, so most likely they would never fight, as for Soko, he dont deserve to fight Machida, I know he has a flash ko over nog but he stil has alot to learn, just like guillard heavy hands and fast pase but little skill, i think Machida would submit him.

fukeneh! let’s see what soko’s got. we’ll find out real soon. machida is the real deal.

wow, i thought he had already signed with someone else…its great news he’s going to be in the ufc, and him and machida will be a very good fight to watch if it happens, i can’t wait to see this guy in fight in the ufc, i want to see him against houston alexander, that would be crazy…

Sokoudjou vs. Machida = Sokoudjou win by KO/TKO

Machida is a good fighter and respected… but I don’t think he’s able to withstand the Sokoudjou force.

John, Mania, and all Maniacs,

I know that you (John) have been asking about Couture/Big Nog like every day now. I just read some news that on yesterday’s conference call, Dana White said that he HAS offered Randy the fight with Big Nog. He has yet to get a response back from Randy.

I herd that Randy text message Dana and told him they will sit down and talk. Hopefully Randy doesnt bring his wife to the meeting!

How many damn times do I have to tell you all to 4get about Machida. He will NEVER fight for a title at 205. With all the animals in the UFC LHW division do you really think Dana is gonna give a title shot to a guy that cant finish anyone? Come on, use your heads. You got killers like Wanderlei, shogun, rampage, forrest, and you want Machida to be the champ….Not a chance that will ever happen. Machida is nothing special…get a clue.

As for Sokoudjou, they should have let Soko vs. Houston headline UFC 78 event. Think about it both fighters are in a simular situation. Soku came out of nowhere and destroyed Arona, and Rogerio. Houston was even less known and he came out and destroyed Sakara and Jardine. I would love to see these two fight each other. talk about Fireworks. Soko has some of the nasties leg kicks that I have ever seen and he has hands of stone, Ko’ing Arona with a nasty right hand, and Ko’ing Noguera with an onpoint left hook.

Houston is a beast in his own right who also has hands of granite and nasty knees to go along with some grown man strength. If they were in the same cage together…Wow!

Please lets all forget Machida, until he Ko’s or submits someone he is pretty much irrelevant. His own father said that he has to star finishing fights so what does that tell you?

205 is so stacked. It’s easily the most entertaining division in the UFC. Soko, Alexander, Jackson, Hendo, Shogun, Griffin, Silva, Liddell, Jardine, Bisping, Evans…I could go on and on. The UFC needs to start paying some of these guys to drop down to 185. The best fighter in the promotion, Anderson Silva, is fighting in the weakest division.

anyone who wants to see the videos of sokoudjou fight Noguera, arona, or texiera got to www.sokoudjou.com

That’s an interesting matchup. Soku will make it exciting because he won’t stand off he’ll be on the front foot. Will it force Machida to scrap it out or is he that technically proficient and quick to do his usual elusive counter striking job. If Soku has trouble in the standup (can’t imagine he would) he might try and get his mitts on Machida. I think we it would be fair to say Machida’s striking is probably more technical whereas Thierry has the power.

I really don’t know how this one is going to go if it happens. Won’t dare predict it.

That’s an interesting matchup. Soku will make it exciting because he won’t stand off he’ll be on the front foot. Will it force Machida to scrap it out or is he that technically proficient and quick to do his usual elusive counter striking job. If Soku has trouble in the standup (can’t imagine he would) he might try and get his mitts on Machida. I think we it would be fair to say Machida’s striking is probably more technical whereas Thierry has the power.

I really don’t know how this one is going to go if it happens. Won’t dare predict it.

I will! SoKO by 1st rd KO…….I’d bet my house on it.

How many damn times do I have to tell you all to 4get about Machida. He will NEVER fight for a title at 205. With all the animals in the UFC LHW division do you really think Dana is gonna give a title shot to a guy that cant finish anyone? Come on, use your heads. You got killers like Wanderlei, shogun, rampage, forrest, and you want Machida to be the champ….Not a chance that will ever happen. Machida is nothing special…get a clue.

As for Sokoudjou, they should have let Soko vs. Houston headline UFC 78 event. Think about it both fighters are in a simular situation. Soku came out of nowhere and destroyed Arona, and Rogerio. Houston was even less known and he came out and destroyed Sakara and Jardine. I would love to see these two fight each other. talk about Fireworks. Soko has some of the nasties leg kicks that I have ever seen and he has hands of stone, Ko’ing Arona with a nasty right hand, and Ko’ing Noguera with an onpoint left hook.

Houston is a beast in his own right who also has hands of granite and nasty knees to go along with some grown man strength. If they were in the same cage together…Wow!

Please lets all forget Machida, until he Ko’s or submits someone he is pretty much irrelevant. His own father said that he has to star finishing fights so what does that tell you?

So by your logic, a fighter is only worth his weight in gold if he wins by KO or sub? Unanimous, not split but Unanimous decisions dont count in your book? Clearly beating an opponent up & out-fighting your foe for 15min means nothing? I should forget about him? In that case, I should not only write-off Machida but a slew of other talented fighters as well.

Do you honestly have real respect for the fight game or are you simply looking to see someone’s block get knocked off? just because you personally dont like a fighter doesnt dismiss that fighters capability & skill.

Although I value your opinion I’ve gotta strongly disagree with your Machida comments. You have a right not to be enamored by a particular fighter but why all the hate? Just cuz viscious KO power wasnt built into his DNA doesnt make him any less of a fighter. He may never be champ but Flash KO’s & Lucky Punches aside, he has the skill-set to soundly beat anyone at 205 on any given saturday.

So by your logic, a fighter is only worth his weight in gold if he wins by KO or sub? Unanimous, not split but Unanimous decisions dont count in your book? Clearly beating an opponent up & out-fighting your foe for 15min means nothing? I should forget about him? In that case, I should not only write-off Machida but a slew of other talented fighters as well.

Do you honestly have real respect for the fight game or are you simply looking to see someone’s block get knocked off? just because you personally dont like a fighter doesnt dismiss that fighters capability & skill.

Although I value your opinion I’ve gotta strongly disagree with your Machida comments. You have a right not to be enamored by a particular fighter but why all the hate? Just cuz viscious KO power wasnt built into his DNA doesnt make him any less of a fighter. He may never be champ but Flash KO’s & Lucky Punches aside, he has the skill-set to soundly beat anyone at 205 on any given saturday.

1st off…….no one respects the game more than I do. Lets get that clear off the bat. I have my favorites like everyone else, but I always speak objectively. Ko power is an element of being a great fighter, not the only element, but to some degree it is important. For example say Machida fights Baroni hypethetically. Machida could out fight Baroni for 14 minutes and 45 seconds and clearly dominate and outclass baroni, but all it takes is Baroni to land one punch. When you have no KO power and your opponent knows that, he is gonna fight you differently, he is gonna be less tense, less nervous. Knowing that your opponent cannot KO you, is a huge advantage mentally. You can fight someone clearly better than you but in your head you know that he isnt really hurting you.

Also, I wasnt talking strictly about KO power. I was talking about the ability to finish a fight. KO’s or submissions. I know Machida has submissions and is skilled but he will have to show more than what he has shown before I include him in any championship talk, especially in the UFC’s 205 lb division (which is the best out there).

I dont want to see another champion that never finishes a fight (sherk). I am the 1st person on this site to tell you how much I enjoy a long, 25 minute, hard fought WAR, with both fighters laying it all on the line. For example Rampage vs. Henderson… That was a war, neither fighter finished the other, but guess what I was on my seat for 25 minutes knowing that at any moment if Hendo lands one of his wild haymakers, or if Rampage unleashes a nasty uppercut, the fight would be over. Now that is exciting.

Machida has to become a finisher 1st, before ever reaching champion status. There havent been many champions that couldn’t finish fight. There is a reason for that. The Nakamura fight was his best showing in a while, but still come on man, you give 95% of the champions clean shots that Machida was landing, and lights out Kazahiro.

And by the way, KO power is something you can improve on so it is his fault. He has the tools, but he should improve his power. Now if you were to tell me that Machida could or would become champion at 185 I would listen because lets be real, all he has to deal with is Silva, on any given night a high caliber fighter can beat any other High caliber fighter. But you want to talk about Machida champion at 205, I aint buying that. I will tell you right now that will NEVER happen. Theres Rampage, Wanderlei, Forrest, Shogun, Jardine, houston. Machida cant even get past Liddell, so come on you can like the dude but be real… Not at 205. If he drops to 185, possibly, but no way is it ever gonna happen at 205. Sorry.

good fight ufc needs this badly the card is weak right now would be a awesome match, i hope they sign this soon

1st off…….no one respects the game more than I do. Lets get that clear off the bat. I have my favorites like everyone else, but I always speak objectively. Ko power is an element of being a great fighter, not the only element, but to some degree it is important. For example say Machida fights Baroni hypethetically. Machida could out fight Baroni for 14 minutes and 45 seconds and clearly dominate and outclass baroni, but all it takes is Baroni to land one punch. When you have no KO power and your opponent knows that, he is gonna fight you differently, he is gonna be less tense, less nervous. Knowing that your opponent cannot KO you, is a huge advantage mentally. You can fight someone clearly better than you but in your head you know that he isnt really hurting you.

Also, I wasnt talking strictly about KO power. I was talking about the ability to finish a fight. KO’s or submissions. I know Machida has submissions and is skilled but he will have to show more than what he has shown before I include him in any championship talk, especially in the UFC’s 205 lb division (which is the best out there).

I dont want to see another champion that never finishes a fight (sherk). I am the 1st person on this site to tell you how much I enjoy a long, 25 minute, hard fought WAR, with both fighters laying it all on the line. For example Rampage vs. Henderson… That was a war, neither fighter finished the other, but guess what I was on my seat for 25 minutes knowing that at any moment if Hendo lands one of his wild haymakers, or if Rampage unleashes a nasty uppercut, the fight would be over. Now that is exciting.

Machida has to become a finisher 1st, before ever reaching champion status. There havent been many champions that couldn’t finish fight. There is a reason for that. The Nakamura fight was his best showing in a while, but still come on man, you give 95% of the champions clean shots that Machida was landing, and lights out Kazahiro.

And by the way, KO power is something you can improve on so it is his fault. He has the tools, but he should improve his power. Now if you were to tell me that Machida could or would become champion at 185 I would listen because lets be real, all he has to deal with is Silva, on any given night a high caliber fighter can beat any other High caliber fighter. But you want to talk about Machida champion at 205, I aint buying that. I will tell you right now that will NEVER happen. Theres Rampage, Wanderlei, Forrest, Shogun, Jardine, houston. Machida cant even get past Liddell, so come on you can like the dude but be real… Not at 205. If he drops to 185, possibly, but no way is it ever gonna happen at 205. Sorry.

To back-up my questioning of your motives as a fan I’ll quote you, (quote)“I dont want to see another champion that never finishes a fight (sherk). I am the 1st person on this site to tell you how much I enjoy a long, 25 minute, hard fought WAR, with both fighters laying it all on the line. For example Rampage vs. Henderson… That was a war, neither fighter finished the other, but guess what I was on my seat for 25 minutes knowing that at any moment if Hendo lands one of his wild haymakers, or if Rampage unleashes a nasty uppercut, the fight would be over. Now that is exciting.” (end quote)

For effect…..(quote) if Hendo lands one of his wild haymakers, or if Rampage unleashes a nasty uppercut, the fight would be over. Now that is exciting (end quote)

Those are just 2 examples in one paragraph. Clearly the KO is extremely important to you. Not that anythings necessarily wrong with that but it clearly carries more weight with you than anything else. Otherwise, you wouldnt have gone on to state it mutliple times within the same post.

Personally, I enjoy the “art”. I love a good KO or a fight ending sub that explodes from nowhere as much as the next guy. More than that, I love the subtle nuances & technical aspects of the game. As long as both guys are mixing it up proper in the ring, I’m a happy customer.

We obviously have a difference of opinion here. Let’s just agree to disagree on this particular subject. Let’s also be clear on the fact that I am not at all saying that Machinda WILL be champ one day. Go back & read my post thoroughly, I never wrote that.

I just think some of you don’t really have a clue about the art of fighting….to all the Machida hater,, well I think Machida is the next Bruce Lee, I like he style very quick and doesn’t take on much damages. very smart fighter…….I think he will be the next Champion.