yea Tito has good submissions, Machida was also exhausted his conditioning doesn’t seem to be tip-top.. and it’s pretty easy to be consistant when all you do is going in there to run around for 15 minutes and throw a few kicks and max 5 punches per round.. when i see lyoto i see the Koscheck that fought Sanchez the 2nd time, he never changes, luckily Koscheck did and he’s been swining for the fences every fight.. let’s hope the same thing happens to Machida

To me, this fight is just as appealing as Fedor/Arlovski and Penn/GSP! Its an apsolute joy watching both Machida and Silva fight.

Silva is a rugged but extremely skilled bad ass. He is an animal that hits extremely hard and loves to engage. His chin is solid and his ground game is amazing. not only does he posses slick submissions but he has an outstanding ground n pound from the mount. There arent to many 205 ’ers that are tougher then him!

Machida is amazing! I rewatched the Ortiz fight last week and I think it was one of my favorite fights of 2008! Kalib starnes RUNS, Machida backs up, makes you miss then tags you the Z up! I think its beautiful to watch! He really beat the crap out of Tito, and Tito could barely land any shots. Masterful performance if you ask me. Anyone who can tag you up while avoiding any damage for 15 minutes is a freaking GENIUS if you ask me.

I have NO predictions for this match up. I look forward to it very much but I have no clue how it will play out. I will probably just bet and root for the underdog, whoever it is. I hate to see either guy lose, but this is a top shelf match up!

john i agree with you that the fight with Tito was great but mostly b/c of Ortiz it’s just a pleasure to watch that guy perform and the whole thing surrounding his fights.. but a serious question, isn’t it somewhat wrong for the sport and selfish to back up all the time and then tag the other guy in every fight? if everyone had the same mindset as Machida the sport wouldn’t be where it is today, cause lets get real you can’t make good business on a guy like that and if everybody were like that then yea.. I just cannot support a guy like that!

I am also one who loves watching Machida fight and am always entertained by the skill he shows and the performances he puts on in the Octogan. He makes a seasoned very experinced fighter look like an amature when they compete against him. Is he the most exciting fighter to watch maybe not, but to me he is definately one of the most entertaining. He doesn’t lay down on top of his opponents so they are unable to do anything he is right there in front of them and they still cannot do anything, amazing stuff. I know a lot of fans do not like or cannot appreciate his fighting style, but he could put on amazing gritty exciting performances like Leban, Gurgel or some other fighters just to please some of the fans, get kntfo or lose few times and then get cut from the UFC. I think he more likely to carry on doing what he doing and try not to have to many sleepless nights over a few upset keyboard warriors.

Great post ADe! I completely agree!

How about the leg kick, then switch to the other leg High kick combos he was blasting Ortiz with! Just a beautiful fight if you ask me

Seriously, strictly speaking from a toughness stand point. tiago might be the toughest guy in the LHW division. He is a bad ass, groomed in the mad house that is Chute Box. I dont think he can be broken. Mentally he is extremely tough and he doesnt mind getting hit at all. He is mean, powerful and Nasty! when u grow up Brawling with Wanderlei and Shogun on a daily basis, there is very little that going to intimidate you in the octagon.

I cant predict this fight but I would say that Silva could possibly finish Machida, where as I dont see Machida being able to finish Silva. NOt saying Machida wont win, but it will have to be via decision cause I dont see Silva being finished too often in the uFC! Where as Silva does have the potential to finish Machida either in the stand up or via G n P, because he has a Brutal G n P out of the mount!

Rob: Hell no its not bad for the sport to back up and make your opponent miss. This is a sport! In every sport that I can think of, you alkways here that Defense wins championships. so why would having amazing defense discredit mma?

When it comes down to it they fight in a cage. THere is only so much running you can do. U want to get in Machida’s face? Fine, work on your footwork, cut off angles and trap him against the cage and beat him up! This is a chess match!

whats next rob? R u going to make blocking illegal or force fighters to fight with their hands down?

noo, that was not what i meant.. i just think there are other ways to defend yourself without having to run as much as he does, just look at Marcus Davis he stays in the pocket avoids the punch and counters! now that’s skill and the same goes for Anderson Silva! but hey everyone is allowed to fight in whatever way they want too.. I just don’t support the Machida style because i think it’s too defensive, the fight i liked him in was the one against Sokoudjou!

I want Silva to win but it’s an uphill battle. I think he should take this to the ground and exploit Machida’s JJ. Yea they’re both black belts but there’s a difference in their styles and Silva is a BJJ first. I love his transition games from the top especially for a LHW. But am with John, this is an exciting matchup from two talented fighters.

Machida is going to frustrate Silva and once Silva makes that one mistake…

Machida is very opportunistic.

Machida FTW.

I kno Rob, I was just teasing u. I love watching Machida fight but I understand your point…you arent alone. THere are millions of people that hate Machida’s style. TO each his own. Check out his fight vs. Nakamura. I thought he fought an amazing fight!

John: “U want to get in Machida’s face? Fine, work on your footwork, cut off angles and trap him against the cage and beat him up! This is a chess match!”

That’s the point that so many are missing. It’s not Machida’s obligation to fight on someone elses terms. It’s up to his opponent to force him to fight their fight. If they didnt train to do so and Machida ends up making them look bad then shame on them. If they have no answer for his style then oh well. THey’ll just have to take their lumps and another “L” on their record while watching him climb the rankings.

Silva has decent footwork and obvious KO power but he’s not the smartest fighter in the world. The way he stood and traded with Thomas Drwal was foolish. Had Drwal’s cardio been up to par he could have beaten Thiago. And Drwal is no where near the fighter Machida is. Not only will Lyoto win but I say he finishes Silva.

Oh, and where is all this wonderous BJJ that everyone claims Silva has? CAn someone direct me to a specific fight so I can see for myself? Houston Alexander doesnt count btw.

matt hughes is what 170 and ortiz is 205? not that impressive