UFC Quick Quote: Bad coaching, not sheer awesomeness, the reason Rashad Evans lost to Lyoto Machida
by MMAmania.com on May 30, 2009 11:06 AM EDT
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"I went back and watched the Rashad fight again, and I think it comes down to bad coaching. In the prefight press conference, I heard Rashad say that he didn’t bring anybody in who would resemble Machida’s style. When I heard that, I knew that there might be some problems. That is probably a big reason why Rashad didn’t do very well in the striking area. I also think Rashad should have been coached on using his wrestling talent. He didn’t shoot one takedown that I can remember and he just made it a sparring match. If I was to coach Rashad against Machida, I would have told him to make it a fight, use his wrestling and groundwork to really dictate the match. Not just go out and spar with him. I think Rashad could have done a lot better in that fight. I’m not saying he should have won, but he’s a lot better than he showed on Saturday."
-- Matt Hughes shares his thoughts via his personal blog about the main event fight between Rashad Evans and Lyoto Machida at UFC 98 on May 23. "The Dragon" looked phenomenal, taking out "Sugar" in the second round with a lethal explosion of strikes that separated the champion from consciousness for the first time ever in his previously unbeaten career. Hughes chalks the loss up to bad coaching and a poor strategy going into the fight. And he's not the only one -- Shawn Tompkins, the head trainer at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, told CageWriter.com that Machida is "far from unbeatable" and Rashad "gave Lyoto everything he needed to make himself look invincible" by failing to close the distance and use his strong wrestling skills. So is Machida really as good as he looked last weekend or does Evans' head trainer, Greg Jackson, deserve some of the credit?
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Sorry buddy, but your man got mud holed by the superior figher in the ring, not before it.
by Sir Chokemout on May 30, 2009 11:09 AM EDT reply actions
who’s man? that was Matt Hughes talking not Greg Jackson buddy…
by JIZZO on May 30, 2009 11:14 AM EDT up reply actions
i think Matt coached Evans on tuf and thats what he was talking about
by j on May 30, 2009 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
If only Hughes could have been in contact with Rashad before the fight! I am almost certain rashad would have won by pawing at Machida with southpaw jabs, and “making it a fight”. By that do you think he means ineffectively laying on top of his opponent? The only thing Hughes does well is cut weight, because he is enormous at the time of the fight.
by crinow on May 30, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
Lol I’m the shit. I mean sometimes I read for shit.
by Sir Chokemout on May 30, 2009 1:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Dude there is not a single fighter out there who would not benefit from training with Matt Hughes. The guy is phenomenal on the ground, he just isn’t exciting. I don’t know what it takes to please you guys but all Hughes is saying is Rashad should have stuck with his bread and butter. Hughes didn’t like Rashad on the show so this is a big compliment coming from him. I’m really hoping Hughes stays humble, its a good fit for him. As for Rashad it was his timing not his lack of wrestling that lost him that fight. Nobody can get Machida’s timing down its just so awkward. Even if Rashad wanted to shoot he’d have to gap the entire octagon and push Lyoto up against the fence before he would even get an arm around Machida’s legs.
by Cogito Ergo Sum on May 30, 2009 1:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Crinow, you’re in idiot. Hughes is a 9 time world champion. His G&P has made him a legand. He was not laying a praying with Serra moron. Serra was holding on so the fight would get back to their feet. You’re such a tool
by DR on May 30, 2009 1:44 PM EDT up reply actions
i hate to agree with hughes but hes right. throwing a stiff jab against a left swinging counter puncher is not the way to beat lyoto. for one lefties nemesis is a guy cirling to their left throwing straight rights but still, stand up is what lyoto has been doing since he was walking, rashad is a wrestler. doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. the first round wasnt working in the stand up so go for the take down. i can understand trying to stand with lyoto if he was stuffing you but to not even try was down right dumb. might not have made a difference but still better than what rashad did as is.
by Egads on May 30, 2009 1:48 PM EDT up reply actions
Hughes is right.. Rashad should have tried to close the distance and made it a more physical fight.. Machida even tried to take Rashad down and that’s when Rashad should have tried to counter with a takedown of his own or just kept him in that clinch
by RoB on May 30, 2009 2:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I kinda agree but also people fail to realize rashad’s wrestling style. He’s got that sanchez style of grinding you out and clinching until he can get a good enough base to drive forward and get you down. He’s not by any means a great double leg guy who can shoot from far or anything. Don’t let the rogan world class wrestler bit (which i’ll save the rant for later) fool you guys. And on the ground, i don’t think he has sufficient guard passing skills to beat lyoto. So it really comes down to clinch fighting which is plain stupid against machida.
by NameNotRequired on May 30, 2009 2:46 PM EDT up reply actions
Hughes is stupid. Machida makes everyone look like they have never fought a day in thewir life.
by belfort_fan on May 30, 2009 3:19 PM EDT up reply actions
I don’t think Rashad was ever a champion wrestler like Kos, Lesnar, etc. He was D-I, so he’s no slouch, but he certainly wasn’t a world-beater either.
by PW on May 30, 2009 4:06 PM EDT up reply actions
The thing that gets me is there is no one better at looking in the rear view mirror than Hughes. “He shoulda done this, shoulda done that. If I were coaching him I would have done this, etc.” Hughes is full of this talk.
I thought the fight would be so close I didn’t even make a prediction. We all know it was nowhere near a close fight.
Lyoto is pure predator and shouls be congratulated for his victory. If Rashad can do it then we certainly can.
by DJ on May 30, 2009 4:46 PM EDT up reply actions
you make me laugh you lot EVERYTIME matt hughes makes a comment about ANYTHING you make him out to be stupid the guy is a legend in the sport show some respect
by boyer on May 30, 2009 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions
you dont have to respect the guy but should understand that at least by being in the fight game as long as him and done as well as him that maybe he does know more than most if not all of the people here. but by no means do we HAVE to respect anyone. respect his accomplishments sure, but not necessarily the man.
by Egads on May 30, 2009 7:13 PM EDT up reply actions
I agree with Egads. Sure he had a great run, but he just seems so dense when he launches comments out there. I thought it was fairly obvious that Rashad was trying to set up his take-down. But couldn’t because Lyoto’s timing was so perfect, and he’s gone so quickly that Rashad couldn’t get in there to wrestle him down. Hughes is so weird. You’d think that he’d have a good insider’s look at the fight game. He just seems so far removed from reality.
by Dave on May 31, 2009 2:48 AM EDT up reply actions
Good posts. I agree with Cogito’s points totally.
And DJ, I see your point about Matt Hughes making comments in hindsight, that answers are always easier once the results have transpired, but he’s commenting on the sport as anyone would and is offering his opinion. There’s nothing wrong with that.
And as someone added, he’s talking well of a guy he clashed with on the show, so there isn’t just some bias based on his own prejudices or whatever.
by Johnny Farnham on May 31, 2009 4:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Actually, I was thinking during the whole fight, “why doesn’t he commit to some strong take downs?” I mean, it may have take Rashad many attempts and he may have paid for some of them. But, if he thought he was gonna out-strike Lyoto, then somenody definitely gave him bad advice! Rashad’s quick and strong with excellent wrestling skills. I really think he could’ve taken Lyoto down! Whether or not he would have beaten Lyoto, we’ll never know. But, he could’ve been in the fight.
by Dana's a CrossDresser on May 31, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I was thinking exactly the samething. Rashad used to be able to takedown anyone he attempted to put on the ground, his takedowns were really explosive,wtf happened to him. I truly belived that ho could have taken down Machida if he tried, but his ego to out strike one of the most dangerous strikers in the division got the better of him. He did well agains lesser opponents with his striking, but when he could see like every body else that it was not going to work with Machida, he should have reverted to what he was originally best at. Definately bad coaching.
by Ade on May 31, 2009 2:00 PM EDT up reply actions
It was totally bad coaching. These are the facts. Machida stand up is not only different, its world class. His top game is good subitting Sokadjou, but what about his bottom game?? Have we seen Machida’s gaurd yet?? If Rashad was my fighter that would have been the game plan. I would have said to him forget striking. We know this guy can strike, but can he fight of his back? Put him down, ride em, GNP. Hey if it don’t work we can try standing with him then but I would have at least made him take him down to see what happened.
The problem with Rashad and what happens to a lot of fighters most recently Sean Sherk, They either get a good knock out so they think they can now knock everyone out, or they get booed so much when they use their wrestling that they try to stand to make the fight more exciting. FORGET THAT!! Stick to your bread and butter. If it works so what if it’s boring to some fans. Machida was boring to some fans, look at him now. He didn’t do anything different. He stuck to his bread and butter and now iots paying dividends.
by getrawbc on May 30, 2009 11:32 AM EDT up reply actions
Rashad can’t get/keep Machida into guard. Machida will stop 90% of takedown attempts b/c he stans so far away and has great takedown defense when someone does get close. From training vid’s, it looks like Machida does a great job of standing back up too. Better strategy for Rashad? Maybe. Would it work? Probably not.
by Punch You in the Ovaries on May 30, 2009 12:55 PM EDT up reply actions
The real distinguishing factor about Machida is not that he’s got great strikes, footwork, or defense – it’s that he’s got great timing. Rashad couldn’t do anything in there because he could never get a bead on Machida. He had no idea what was coming next, or when it would come. I don’t care who you bring in, you can’t replicate something like that in training.
by just some dong on May 30, 2009 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions
just some dong,
Don’t forget – where it would come from. Rashad, at times, looked like he didn’t know if it was a kick or a punch that was coming next.
by Jeff on May 30, 2009 2:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Yup, kinda what I meant by “he had no idea what was coming next”
by just some dong on May 30, 2009 2:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Agreed, timing and unpredictable combo’s is at the center of it.
by Punch You in the Ovaries on May 30, 2009 3:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I haven’t see Machida’s trowing combos often Punch!
But he did a few in his last fight when,Suga was hurt!
by Alpha Male 360 on May 30, 2009 6:44 PM EDT up reply actions
With Machida’s wide stance, he could be taken down from a very fast and well aimed hook kick.
Anderson pulled it off against Leites, for example, though to be fair Leites’ strength is not striking, per se. Still, Machida is fast and will know a good striker could look for that.
by Space on May 30, 2009 7:02 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, undpredictable sequencing I suppose is what I mean.
by Punch You in the Ovaries on May 31, 2009 12:47 AM EDT up reply actions
Jackson pic through me off as well…The problem is Shogun isn’t much of a wrestler either…
by Robert(1) on May 30, 2009 1:01 PM EDT up reply actions
Matt Hughes, the king of good fighting strategy who tried twice to stand and trade with GSP. Not only that, but I would like to see Hughes try to bring in someone that resembles Machida’s style. That’s not any easy thing to do. I’m not done yet, why does Hughes always feel the need to comment on everyone else’s fights?
by RedDog on May 30, 2009 11:16 AM EDT up reply actions
he is the biggest HATER in the sport and doesnt have a single ounce of class in his body! what do you expect?
by john on May 30, 2009 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
Come on John, I know you hate the guy, but to say he doesn’t have a single ounce of respect in his body, might be a little much.
I was the biggest Hughes fan for a long time, but have grown weary of his attitude at times. However, the comments he makes are not that different from most fighters, and I thought he and Serra both paid the proper respect following their fight.
Also, I don’t think these guys should have to be mutes about other fighters, and I don’t want to see a manly hugfest after every fight.
Spew all the venom before, leave it all in the Octagon, and shake your opponents hand when your done. Perfectly respectable IMO.
by Jrandolph on May 30, 2009 12:36 PM EDT up reply actions
Jran…. there is no one in MMA that loves to throw salt on a wound like Hughes. He should have given props to Lyoto for the victory but instead focuses on what Rashad and/or his camp did wrong. Hughes has done it so many times there should be a thread on it. If, of course, Mania thought it would be important enough to piece together. Most likely not…
by DJ on May 30, 2009 4:51 PM EDT up reply actions
JRandolph! Im not talking about what he does pre fight and post fight….He just feels the need to bash everyone. Taking shots at Jackson who happens to be one of the most respected coaches in the game, and one of the nicer humans beings in the sport is simply classless. HOw the hell does he know what strategy Jackson put together for Rashad. Its very possible that the gameplan implemented was for Rashad to wrestle machida….did Matt ever stop to think that maybe Shad didnt follow the game plan?
What the FOCK does Hughes know about Rashad and his camp? Im not even a big Shad or Greg Jackson fan, but I respect their talents and hard work….Hughes is simply a douchebag and just a CRAPPY Person, from what I have seen on him being on tV for the past 5 years! He just cant help himself. He feels the need to kick everyone when they are down. When he is down, fighters like GSP showed class to HUghes….something hUGHES kNOWS NOTHING about! YOU either kNow or you dont!
Hughes has been getting Ko’ed left n right recentrlyt or squeeking out boring decision wins…YOU dont here other fighters BASHING his trainers or gameplans.
He was an amazing Welterweight in his time….but He is just White Hick TRASH!!!! Simple as that!
by john on May 30, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions
I see your point John, but when other fighters do or say something that may seem classless (like Rampage’s rant at walmart) many of the same people that hate on Hughes, excuse Page’s behavior because “that’s just Rampage”.
I guess if you don’t like a guy, then you really hate it when he makes these kind of comments, but I really do try to look past that, cause I don’t care for a lot of these guys personally, but love them as fighters.
by Jrandolph on May 30, 2009 7:31 PM EDT up reply actions
He tried once to to stand with GSP.
He said Rashad didnt bring ANYONE in to resemble Machida. Most camps try to get someone to mirror a guy. A little would seem to be better than nothing.
And why do you feel the need to comment on everyones fights too? We all can but Matt Hughes cant? How does that make sense? Oh, its probably because you don’t like him, which means its wrong for him to do the exact same thing you do by commenting on fights.
by Synyster on May 30, 2009 11:46 AM EDT up reply actions
I agree with Hughes, we need to set aside whether we like him or not and read what he said,
1. Admitting to NOT bringing in a similar style to spar with when it’s Machida (arguable the most confusing style)
2. Trying to strike with arguably the best striker when you are a very talented wrestler.
- I think Sherk made the same mistake not wrestling.
These are actually intelligent remarks. Also he even says that it doesn’t mean Rashad would of won. Good critique in my book.
by Bennie Blanco on May 30, 2009 12:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Hughes made solid points.
If you go back and watch Machida’s fights on tape, you will see NOTHING that should lead ANYONE into thinking that the way to beat Machida is to stand in front of him, dance around a bit, and hope you hit him before he hits you.
I mean, come on. If Rashad were a complete badass striker, who had trained some sort of striking discipline his whole life then MAYBE you come up with striking as a gameplan. An Anderson Silva level could try it. But how many guys strike at his level? Oh, that’s right TWO – Machida and A. Silva.
Rashads striking is great for a wrestler, but he should have stuck with the style that he has trained for a long time, wrestling
by jtc2112 on May 30, 2009 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
NONE of US including Hughes have any clue as to wehat Rashad’s gameplan was against Machida. I have no problems with commenting on a fight…but when you start bashing a guys trainers and his camp….thats when I call you a classless douche!
I have a ton of respect as Matt HUghes the fighter. He used to be one of my favorite fighters until we got to see his personality on spike TV….after that, its hard for me too root for the guy but I have a ton of respect for him as a fighter…I dont know him personally, but from the footage that I have been privy to see, I find it hard to respect him as a human being!
GO read his book, and just listen to how he treats other people….then c if you still feel like defending him as a person.
by john on May 31, 2009 10:02 AM EDT up reply actions
I’m not a Matt Hughes fan or hater. Sometimes what he has to say rubs me the wrong way but he’s been a great fighter for a long time. I think the TUF show is really what made many people dislike him and I recently read the cover story on last month’s FIGHT magazine and he says that Spike’s editing had a lot to do with how he came across. He mentioned a scene from the TUF with Serra where one of his fighters just lost and it showed Hughes playing solitaire and not saying anything…which looked like he was being a jerk. He said in the interview that he was playing cards before the fight and before the fighter had come to the dressing room. That’s an example of the editting job that Spike did to make him look like he didn’t care and had a bad attitude. The guy is undoubtedly passionate about fighting and he always seemed like a great coach.
As far as his comments go I agree that Rashad should have tried a takedown or two and like john said maybe that was the game plan and it just didn’t happen. It’s hard to say since the fight didn’t last as long as most people predicted. I think this fight might be a lesson to Rashad to try and go back to what got him to where he is and become more of a balanced fighter…mixing in more of his wrestling with his striking. I don’t have any problem with what Hughes said…it was his opinion…we all have one.
by Buster Bluth on Jun 1, 2009 11:06 AM EDT up reply actions
the same reason ,you are commenting on what he said
by scott on May 30, 2009 11:50 AM EDT up reply actions
To be fair, Hughes couldn’t take down GSP.
by Pantherhare on May 30, 2009 12:40 PM EDT up reply actions
What point are you trying to make? This is about fight strategy and such. Even if Hughes couldn’t take GSP down, it at least showed his gameplan of NOT standing with GSP.
I dont get what point you were trying to make.
by Synyster on May 30, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
or alves, at least effectively. HOWEVER, I completely understand why is even mentioning rematches with those two. just a few minor tweaks…. maybe give ’em some of that pawing southpaw jab…
by crinow on May 30, 2009 12:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Who wouldn’t want a rematch for the title? Who wouldn’t want to fight the best there is? I seriously think a lot of you need to re read what your saying and look at it from the fighters point of view. Hughes has just beat Serra and was stating that he’d like a rematch down the road, but he’s gotta talk to DW first. Man its not like he’s calling out GSP and Alves saying they refuse to fight him or that he deserves the shot.
by Cogito Ergo Sum on May 30, 2009 1:49 PM EDT up reply actions
“Who wouldn’t want a rematch for the title?” Rampage! Besides that Cogito, I agree with you.
by JV on May 30, 2009 1:56 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you will be hearing the same after Machida defends his belt again and again.
by ajttu on May 30, 2009 11:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Apparently life is boring on the farm and Hughes has nothing else to do. Rashad was doomed either way.
by mikehunt on May 30, 2009 11:18 AM EDT reply actions
I like hughes but i dont wana hear his opinion on every little thing. Greg Jackson is one of the best coaches proved by the fighters in his camp but i do agree to an extent with Hughes. Yes he shouldnt of stood with Machida but no one can mimic Machida either!
by irishlilpete on May 30, 2009 11:27 AM EDT reply actions
You don’t have to hear his opinion on every little thing. He’s fricking commenting on the main event of the card he just fought on. Plus, he has some history with Rashad.
Not only that, but it was on his effin’ PERSONAL blog! Jeez.
by Jono on May 30, 2009 11:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Some people dont seem to understand what the word ‘personal’ means.
by Synyster on May 30, 2009 11:59 AM EDT up reply actions
it means its his blog and he can whatever the hell he wants
by Egads on May 30, 2009 1:42 PM EDT up reply actions
He probably does not care what we think about his fights either. The only difference is, he is Matt Hughes, and when he (or any high profile fighter) voices his opinion, it gets posted on sites like mmamania.
For pete’s sake guys! I hate to get all Constitutional and everything, but he has the right to say what he wants. You have the right not to read or listen to it. Hughes probably exercises his right not to read our posts on mania evey day. We will keep posting, correct?
If you truly do not want to hear what he or any other fighter has to has to say, I get it, so then simply bypass those threads. Now you have succesfully avoided hearing what he has to say. Rocket Science!
I don’t understand why everyone gets thier panty’s all in a wad everytime a fighter we don’t like makes a comment about another fighter. I actually like hearing what these guys think about other competitors. I don’t really care for all the personal attacks, but when it’s related to the sport, I’m interested, regardless of whether I like them or not.
So Make an argument for against what he actually said, there is always plenty of ammo there. So can we get past the whole notion that an actual fighter (any fighter, rather than a mere fan) should not be able to make comments regardng the sport they are participating in.
by Jrandolph on May 30, 2009 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions
Its hard to go and mimic Machida as no one in MMA right now uses Machida Karate aside from him. rashad is actually a good striker thus you cant fault him for trying to bang w/ Machida but I do agree he should have tried to bring it to the ground, though Machida might have had an advantge there too.
by big_evil on May 30, 2009 11:34 AM EDT reply actions
C’mon…I honestly don’t think their game plan was just to stand and trade with him. It’s easier said than done to bring Machida to the ground. I’m sure Evans must have attempted to when they were locked up together but Machida is a fairly sized 205er and when they were apart, it would have been even tougher to get close enough for a take down. If indeed that was their game plan, Greg Jackson should be fired as a coach.
Also, I’m sick of fighters and their camps saying that their opponent was “…a better fighter TONIGHT” whenever they lose as if to appear not to make any excuses for their loss (even when they were totally outclassed/outskilled and would lose most times they fight)
by DrHarry on May 30, 2009 12:50 PM EDT up reply actions
This is just 1 of the many reasons why i dislike hughes, he is far from being 1 of the top fighters in the ufc, so to get himself in the lime light, he has to talk shit about other fighters. He should just stick to farming.
by vinrex7 on May 30, 2009 11:37 AM EDT reply actions
I don’t think he was talking shit about another fighter. If any thing he was talking him up. Saying he was better then he showed, lets face it, its not talking shit to say rashad did horrible in that fight because he did.(and I’m a rashad fan) Honestly, I don’t agree with Hughes much but in this case he is right, he should have tried to find someone who fights like him and he should have tried to use his wrestling, which is his base discipline. If GSP made this quote everyone would be on hear talking about how right he is and praise his opinion, but people don’t like hughes so they find a reason to hate on every word he says
by trbtrouble on May 30, 2009 11:55 AM EDT up reply actions
I am a Hughes fan,and I just think it is the same thing that people have said since Machida joined UFC,people just do not want to think that there is someone who is unbeatable in their sport,the same goes for every sport
by scott on May 30, 2009 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Hughes is just trying to promote his own training camp so that fighters would come to him to train .. looks kinda long term retirement strategy.
by commoner on May 30, 2009 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
Is this not what people have been saying since Machida joined UFC,he is far from unbeatable ,blah,blah,blah.They will always say this until one day when he finally loses,so they can say they told us so.I think it is funny ,all these people want to say bad coaching now,even though Greg Jackson is probably the most respected coach right now in MMA.Machida has seen the wrestlers,and he dominated,he has seen the counterstriker,he dominated ,people attack him ,they lose.Greg Jackson was trying something different,just like the rest of these trainers would do.It is always easy to use hindsight,and say well he should have tried this,truth is ,Machida is just that good
by scott on May 30, 2009 11:47 AM EDT reply actions
hughes is right though…machida has been training his entire life as a karate expert…as a striker, since he was a kid…shad has only been training to be a striker for a couple years…yet hes trained his whole life to be a wrestler…so for him to think his couple years of striking training was gonna even remotely gonna hold its on against a guy whos been doing it his entire life is absurd…
after the first round when he was rocked by machida several times he should have been in the corner thinking takedown as soon as the horn for the 2nd began…hes trained his whole life as a wrestler, machidas trained his whole life as a karate striker…he should have at least tried a couple shots…even if machida was able to do a good job of defending the takedowns it would have given machida a little more to think about…
he at least would have been more cautious about coming straight forward knowing that shad might drop down for a double leg…
but once chida realized that a little experience striker like rashad was gonna stand and trade with a guy who had been striking all his life he had no fear whatsoever…and put shad right to sleep
by HellaHectic on May 30, 2009 12:00 PM EDT reply actions
Do you realize that Machida has, in all probability, been training wrestling longer than Evans?
He started learning sumo at 12, and has competed in it at a championship level. It’s obviously not his focus, but his takedown defense says it all.
That, and Evans is actually not a great wrestler… I wish people would stop talking about him like he is one of the great wrestlers of MMA. He was all-state twice, won a junior college championship, and his college record is 48-34.
Compared to people like Couture, Hughes, Henderson, Lesnar – or even to guys like Maynard or Bader (who have over 100 college wins each) – he’s a wrestling nobody, but there are also dozens of lesser fighters in MMA today more accomplished as wrestlers than he is.
by MattNY on May 30, 2009 12:49 PM EDT up reply actions
No shit? Wow… no wonder we’re seeing so many wrestlers join the UFC after Rashad’s success. I mean if a guy with that kind of record can do it…
I say again though, at a high level, a fighter’s success is measured by their sense of timing, not their fighting style. Machida confuses guys with his timing, not his Karate. His “base” could just as easily be in wrestling and I guarantee he’d be bringing fools to the mat when they least expect it, and dominating fights that way. This is why you see champs with all sorts of different backgrounds – practically anything can work in a fight if you just time it right. To beat Machida, someone’s going to have to stop focusing on the nuances of his fight game and understand the bigger picture.
by just some dong on May 30, 2009 2:03 PM EDT up reply actions
I have a question though Matt, I haven’t seen many sumo matches, but the ones that I have seen have no ground game at all. Its really just forcing someone out of a ring or knocking them off balance. It seems that having a sumo background is good for balance avoiding takedowns clinching and holding an opponent on the cage. But is there really a big advantage once on the ground? I don’t really think so, which means maybe it still wouldn’t have been a bad idea for Evans to take him down and put him on his back? I don’t think his sumo background would have done him anygood there. I know he has a BJJ backtround, but so do a lot of fighters, I still think it would have been smarter to try and get em on his back and gnp. IDK man let me know what you think?
by trbtrouble on May 30, 2009 7:00 PM EDT up reply actions
The problem with your theory is that Machida has a black belt in bjj also. He has all his bases covered.
by SuperBad on May 30, 2009 10:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I know he has a black belt, but he wouldn’t be the first blackbelt to get beaten by gnp. Also the only mistake I have ever seen him make was on the ground and he ended up in an armbar by tito ortiz, he got out of it but it was still a mistake. Also, I’m not even saying rashad can win I’m just saying his best chance would have been on the ground. So far in the UFC everyone who has stood with him was finished off and there was never even a chance. The only time someone in the UFC went the distance with him and got him to make a mistake was the guy who wanted to take the fight to the ground the whole time.
by trbtrouble on May 31, 2009 12:09 AM EDT up reply actions
I’ve never seen Machida fight from his back, so I don’t know whether the risks Evans would have to take to get a takedown would be worth it. (though I’m pretty sure he just wrestles now, rather than still doing sumo ;))
Though in general I think you have a point, Evans never be at a bigger disadvantage than when he’s standing up, so he might as well have tried to bring it to the ground.
I’m just irritated from seeing a lot of people making it seem like he gave away a huge advantage by trying to stand.
by MattNY on May 31, 2009 12:49 AM EDT up reply actions
Ya gotta love the Hughes bashing here. I guess I will be the one to defend him in this. Although I strongly dislike suga and like hughes I’m going to try and speak from an objective p.o.v. Hughes has over 50 professional fights, 48 wins, 19 fights in the ufc and only 10 of his fights have gone to a decision. In saying that rashad doesnt have only 1 loss for no reason. it is quite difficult to find a guy to come in and mirror maceeta unless you bring his dad in, but hughes brought up a great point in that rashad wrestling is far superior than most in the ufc. If he actually had the ability to take machida down it would have been a nice ground match as well. I dunno, I think rashad was doomed either way, but i think the bashing of one of the best ever in the sport thus far is a little bit unwarranted. Then again you may have just started watchin UFC since 06’. I kid I kid, i know all maniacs have love for all MMA and a thorough knowledge.
by charr552 on May 30, 2009 12:04 PM EDT reply actions
I started in ’06. UFC 60 was my introduction to UFC. UFC 69 brought me here, and hardcore MMA ever since.
by Synyster on May 30, 2009 12:14 PM EDT up reply actions
I think Rashad’s plan was to land lucky punch like in Liddell fight, which he was losing horribly. He was overrated coming into this fight imo.
by Hooner on May 30, 2009 12:16 PM EDT reply actions
How overrated was he? He KTFO two of the last three LHW champs in the two fights before this fight and he was still an underdog against Machida.
by Pantherhare on May 30, 2009 12:44 PM EDT up reply actions
HOONER- How do you “plan,” to land a lucky punch?
PANTH- i agree with you partly. He had one of the most SAVAGE KO’s in UFC history over Chuck but LOST (1 point/draw) to Tito. Plus had a very CLOSE win over Bisping!
So, i think he was mildly over-hyped because he SHOULD have a loss and his wins are not against as well talented fighters as Machida’s oppnents!
(Tito, Chuck, Forrest VS Franklin, BJ, Soko, Tito, etc.)
by SoCalStunNa on May 30, 2009 9:58 PM EDT up reply actions
No, he KTFO an aging Chuck Liddell in a fight where he was a little lucky to land the punch with his timing and placement because he wasn’t necessarily winning the fight up to that punch and Forest was a TKO that ended with more paddy cake hammer fists than real strikes. He fought the Machida fight the same way he fought the Liddell fight. Not quite sure what to do but landed the lucky punch against Liddell. Machida exposed him to be the pretender he is.
by sudnvictory on May 30, 2009 11:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Honestly, there’s a very good chance Machida may have been able to stuff any take down attempts. I can’t really recall, but was Tito bale to take him down?
Monday morning quarterbacking is too easy.
by Soups on May 30, 2009 12:17 PM EDT reply actions
I agree. Most people don’t give him enough credit for his wrestling ability. I think he out wrestled both Tito and Evans. The way he controlled Evans preventing him from reversing or standing up was just amazing.
by Hooner on May 30, 2009 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Shawn Tompkins, the head trainer at Xtreme Couture in Las Vegas, told CageWriter.com that Machida is "far from unbeatable"
Really?
Then how come no one has beaten him yet?
by Jesse Holland on May 30, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions
Some times Tompkins don’t make any sense in what he’s saying!
by Alpha Male 360 on May 30, 2009 8:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Do you expect him to say he is UNBEATABLE when he has SEVERAL fighters in the same weight class who are trying to and may one day fight for the title against him!
by SoCalStunNa on May 30, 2009 10:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Matt Hughes is a TOOL. Of course he thinks taking a guy down and using his wrestling should be the gameplan… that’s the only gameplan he has or ever had or ever will have. And when he loses he will say he should’ve tried harder to implement a wrestling gameplan instead of failing to realize his wrestling isn’t enough and he isn’t diverse enough to beat a top guy that can stop his shot (GSP,Alves, BJ- yeah I know… b4 he hurt his rib or gassed).
Before Rashad… EVERYBODY TRIED to takedown Machida. Easier said then done. Besides being elusive… he’s a black belt in BJJ, has a sumo wrestling background, and is an explosive athlete in his own right= easier said then done. Personally, I think this is a newer case of Chuck Liddell when everyone was saying the way to beat him was to take him down… when it came to be revealed the way to beat Chuck was to figure out his striking.
Machida leaves his leg out there and has his chin straight up in the air when he circles out w/ his hands down. It’s not gonna be easy to take advantage of those things as he is super quick. Someone is gonna have to be equally fast to get a leg kick off w/o having a ultra fast straight left blast them. But if someone can get some leg kicks and take out a “blade” of Machida’s?! Could make things real interesting… that guy could be Shogun more then it could be anybody else in the LHW division. I honestly think Machida’s 2 toughest matchups at LHW are Evans and Shogun… so if he gets by Shogun (I think he will)… then this is gonna be a long era… maybe jon jones will get better and present a problem 2 years from now… but the UFC will probably rush him b4 he is ready b/c Machida won’t have people left.
PS BTW the people who keep bringing up Randy dropping to face Machida are insane. Machida beating up an old man would hurt his “marketability” that people are worrying about lol
by The Prodi-G$ on May 30, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions
using the wrestling might have helped sugar in this fight, but machidas also trained in sumo and has a black belt in bjj. tough call either way
by bump on May 30, 2009 12:29 PM EDT reply actions
I think Hughes spoke a bit of sense here for once. If I had Rashads wrestling skill, I’d be making Machida fend off takedowns all night, even if you dont get them every time, its taking Machida out of his comfort zone and stopping him being free to just tee off on you.
Think Rashad got a bit cocky after KOing a washed up Liddell, and thought he now had a world class striking game. The truth is he doesn’t, everyone beats Chuck nowadays. Stick to what you know!
by attakdog on May 30, 2009 12:32 PM EDT reply actions
if you tried takedowns all night, you’d probably be on a steady diet of knees by the end of it. not sure. but he does train with andy silva.
by buttcrack obama bin laden on May 30, 2009 9:27 PM EDT up reply actions
I’m not saying it’s a formula for success but he couldn’t do any worse than he did standing and trading with arguably the UFC’s best striker?
by attakdog on May 31, 2009 6:14 AM EDT up reply actions
Also… to shoot for takedowns you are constantly coming forward… exactly where Machida feels more comfortable. I suppose had Rashad had a gameplan of going for takedowns… we wouldn’t have had to deal with the first 2 minutes of circling around backwards by Rashad… but the result would’ve been the same… straight left by Machida perfectly timed,ACCURATE,
by The Prodi-G$ on May 30, 2009 12:55 PM EDT reply actions
Also… to shoot for takedowns you are constantly coming forward… exactly where Machida feels more comfortable. I suppose had Rashad had a gameplan of going for takedowns… we wouldn’t have had to deal with the first 2 minutes of circling around backwards by Rashad… but the result would’ve been the same… straight left by Machida perfectly timed,ACCURATE,FAST, AND POWERFUL!
Let me say again… Hughes is a Tool w/ the same gameplan for himself and everybody…
by The Prodi-G$ on May 30, 2009 12:56 PM EDT reply actions
Yeah, you dont swing your firsts after the fight is over so shut the hell up. There is no doubt that lyoto dominated the fight.
This article sucks! What ifs – keep this shit in your heads.
by Dickerson on May 30, 2009 1:02 PM EDT reply actions
Hindsight is 20/20. But Machida is very hard to takedown and Rashad would have paid a price for that as well- ie: a knee to the face, getting reversed, etc.
However, the logic is correct, because Machida proved that there’s no way in hell Rashad could stand with him. But coming off a couple big KO/TKO victories, Rashad was a little overconfident is his striking ability.
Machida brought him back down to earth. In fact, Machida brought the whole LHW division back to earth, because a lot of guys who could have been Champ in the belt swapping era will have virtually no chance now.
Shogun at his absolute best is Machida’s only real competition right now, unless Anderson Silva can be convinced to fight him. I think Rampage will be target practice for him. That’s why they preserved Page’s marketability for awhile by sticking him back on the TUF show with Rashad. That way people can think for awhile that Page is a threat to Machida.
by revjames13 on May 30, 2009 1:45 PM EDT reply actions
Craig jackson said in the post fight interview that they were trying to establish a little bit of striking so it would make takedown easier. So their gameplan was to mix it up but they shad never establish striking. And as far as training partners how many fighters have adapted karate to mma the only one i know is machida. So hughes why dont u find somebody that replicas machida and hire him for shad or jackson.
by desperus on May 30, 2009 2:28 PM EDT reply actions
If Matt Hughes would have coached Rashad then he would have got knocked out in the 1rst round not the 2nd going for the takedown.
Matt Hughes is all talk. One bullcrap “W” and he gets cocky again. He is criticizing Greg Jackson’s camp probably because GSP put a smack down on him.
by Skelow on May 30, 2009 5:04 PM EDT reply actions
Machida is a better standup fighter – he’s been doing it for the better part of his life and Evans is a wrestler with good hands. Evans should’ve used his bread and butter and what made him a great figher to begin with. That’s his strength and he didn’t utilize it at all.
by Little Bull on May 30, 2009 5:40 PM EDT reply actions
Hughes is a sniveling halfwit.. He was almost knocked out by Serra. If his fight with Serra had gone five rounds he would have lost.
by chrisTX on May 30, 2009 5:55 PM EDT reply actions
Why didnt Hughes use that strategy against GSP?
by chrisTX on May 30, 2009 6:00 PM EDT reply actions
Whatever the “reason,” Rashad didn’t have what it took to beat Machida, so it’s on him. On another day with different preparations, perhaps. But at UFC 98, no way. Besides, Machida was prepared for Rashad, anyway. He actually did train for Rashad’s specific style, wrestling included. It may have lasted longer, but the result would have been the same.
by MMACrossifre on May 30, 2009 6:13 PM EDT reply actions
Guys, I wasn’t critisizing Rashad, I was trying to help him. It’s not that I don’t like Rashad, It’s that I don’t like black people in general.
by Matt Hughes on May 30, 2009 6:54 PM EDT reply actions
Its easy to make excuses after the fact. Machida was prepared and took care of business.
by bassy on May 30, 2009 7:22 PM EDT reply actions
blame it on bad coaching if you want, the simple fact is that machida is better than rashad in every single aspect of fighter. he is the much better fighter. rashad would have lost that fight 9/10 times no matter what his gameplan was.
by George on May 30, 2009 8:18 PM EDT reply actions
First off, let me preface by saying that I think Machida is an immensely talented fighter and humble human being. He’s 13-0-0 in his professional fighting career, and makes everyone he fights look bad. Yes, he is awkward and difficult to watch at times, but nobody can dispute the effectiveness of his fighting style. If the goal of combat is to do as much damage as possible while taking as little as possible, Lyoto should be considered among the best. As good as he is, I think there are a few aspects of his game that can be exploited.
Lyoto Machida
Lyoto’s fighting styles
Striking
His base striking skill set is based on Shotokan Karate. Strikes are short and quick, allowing the fighter to fire off strikes without compromising balance even if they miss completely. This style stresses rigid, accurate, often linear strikes with "snapping" motions at the ends to maximize their power. Contrast this with the more widely popular Muay Thai style of kicking which involves the rotational movement of the entire body that causes more of a "plowing" effect. Increasing control and balance while striking reduces the force of the strike, which explains why 8 of Machida’s 13 victories come by decision.
Machida has received some training in Thailand (evidenced in his kicks), but he abandons the mentality of training yourself to take damage. For him, avoiding a strike is a top priority which is a style that reflects his Karate background. In Karate competition, you score on points. He maintains distance, and waits for a moment to come in and strike, then he’s immediately back outside range.
Grappling
I’m including wrestling skill into the grappling section, which covers skill in a clinched fighting range. Lyoto doesn’t have a wrestling background, but he has done a lot of Sumo and jiu-jitsu since he was 15. The level of his jiu-jitsu is very high. He’s technical and strong enough to have beaten (by decision) former Mundial champ Rafael Lovato Jr. in a grappling-only match at LA Sub X. He’s also managed to fend off BJ Penn in their match, although he outweighed BJ by quite a bit in that fight. The ground isn’t likely to be the easiest road to beat Machida.
Opportunities
Cut off the Ring(tagon)
Styles aside, Machida’s greatest skill is his mastery of controlling distance. He dictates the distance, and therefore the fight. First step to defeating Machida is taking away this control. He prefers to move straight back to avoid an attack, although when near the cage wall he switches to move laterally. If you can close the distance on him using the ring and impose your attack, you regain some control over the pace of the fight. Catching him this way was a bit easier back when he fought in a ring, much more difficult in an octagon. I’m not convinced that it’s impossible to cut off the ring against Machida. Perhaps it’s just something his challengers need to be more conscientious of, or just be more willing to make an effort to do. Yes, there will be a lot of running involved.
Keep Balance
Sounds silly, but as soon as he closes distance and connects a few, Machida often plows into his opponent and pushes them away. This makes it almost impossible to mount any type of counterattack because they’re either off balance or pushed out of range. My only thought on how to handle this is to move with him even when he’s in the super-close range so he doesn’t push you off your center. If his opponents could manage to throw counters in this range, they’d fare much better.
Don’t Fear the Hands
Lyoto hasn’t knocked anyone out by punches alone yet, so it may be prudent to take a shot or two to line up an overhand. Take a page out of Sean Sherk’s strategy against BJ Penn (just make sure your arms are long enough to reach Machida’s head). His kicks, on the other hand, his opponents should watch out for. They’re extremely quick, and easily strong enough for a KO.
Exploit the Low Hands
Karate striking style dictates that the hands begin low, then extend out forward to complete the punch. In most of his matches, this is the only time his opponents connect anything. Luckily for Machida, he’s also got a tough chin. Part of the difficulty in pulling this off is that Machida fires straight punches, which have longer range than a powerful hook and have the added benefit of blocking any looping hooks aimed at the head when you leave them out there. Sometimes they come through, and almost all of his opponents have managed to tag him a few times this way. None of them truly exploited it as much as they could have. If you watch the exchanges when he steps into the pocket, it’s mostly his opponent’s head down, arms flailing, Machida’s head is straight up in the air with his arms out in front of him pushing. Occasionally his opponents connect by chance, but by the time they realize they’ve done anything he’s back out of range recovering.
I’m no Greg Jackson, but I think these are the possible key’s to defeating Machida. I know a lot of people hate his style, but I welcome it as a refreshing change from the style that has evolved from the past few years of MMA. It’s effective, and I think a lot of fighters can gain a lot by learning from him. If nothing else, when someone figures out how to beat him it’ll be another step forward in the quest for combat knowledge.
by GORANDY on May 30, 2009 8:46 PM EDT reply actions
Great post GORANDY!Good analysis Sir!
by Alpha Male 360 on May 31, 2009 12:06 AM EDT up reply actions
can i get that color blue you write or type in??
by GORANDY on May 31, 2009 12:36 AM EDT up reply actions
Very thorough, perhaps you can help me understand why you say he hasn’t knocked anyone out by punches alone. Were they not punches alone that knocked out Rashad and Thiago Silva? I could be mistaken.
by RedDog on May 31, 2009 5:44 AM EDT up reply actions
HER’s MY recipe to beat da Dragon
MMA style base: Karate
MMA skill set: Wrestling, Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Judo
Step 1: Have a base that you are great at. For example; Maia – Jiu Jitsu, Crocop – Kick Boxing…
Step 2: Match his skills sets (4 or more, the 5th one is your base)
Step 3: Work on your speed
Step 4: Attack his body
So who is likely to do those?
Fedor will get circled around and get picked on. Much worst than Arlovski did before the KO.
Rampage is susceptible to leg kicks, which will open up leg sweeps and, or straight punches.
Brock will get picked appart.
Couture though very intelligent fight planner, is too old, hence less effective in executing the actual fight moves.
Mir, too slow.
Kongo has no ground game
GSP probably has the speed to take down Machida but, he will be swept for everytime he does get a successful take down due to size and power.
Maia has limited striking ability.
Anderson Silva will have a good chance to win but will have to avoid (worry) about leg sweeps, which will then open up straight punches to his face. It will be a question of patience after being hit and not fighting with emotions.
Ricky Hatton will have to learn tae kwon do and bring his band with him in the octagon.
Mousasi, will have success in the UFC, but may have to prove him self by defeating the likes of Nate Marquardt.
Shogun Rua will need to work on his endurance. Kung Fu vs Karate would be an interesting head liner but I think his Kung Fu is not close to solid like that of Machidas’ Karate.
Jon Jones will have to improve his endurance. He has a great base, Greco Roman Wrestling but will have to work on Jiu Jitsu defense.
by brendan on May 30, 2009 8:49 PM EDT reply actions
HOW TO BEAC A CHEETER!?!?!
Step 1: Have a base that you are great at. For example; Maia – Jiu Jitsu, Crocop – Kick Boxing…
Step 2: Match his skills sets (4 or more, the 5th one is your base)
Step 3: Work on your speed
Step 4: Attack his body
So who is likely to do those?
Fedor will get circled around and get picked on. Much worst than Arlovski did before the KO.
Rampage is susceptible to leg kicks, which will open up leg sweeps and, or straight punches.
Brock will get picked appart.
Couture though very intelligent fight planner, is too old, hence less effective in executing the actual fight moves.
Mir, too slow.
Kongo has no ground game
GSP probably has the speed to take down Machida but, he will be swept for everytime he does get a successful take down due to size and power.
Maia has limited striking ability.
Anderson Silva will have a good chance to win but will have to avoid (worry) about leg sweeps, which will then open up straight punches to his face. It will be a question of patience after being hit and not fighting with emotions.
Ricky Hatton will have to learn tae kwon do and bring his band with him in the octagon.
Mousasi, will have success in the UFC, but may have to prove him self by defeating the likes of Nate Marquardt.
Shogun Rua will need to work on his endurance. Kung Fu vs Karate would be an interesting head liner but I think his Kung Fu is not close to solid like that of Machidas’ Karate.
Jon Jones will have to improve his endurance. He has a great base, Greco Roman Wrestling but will have to work on Jiu Jitsu defense.
by erinormsby on May 30, 2009 9:02 PM EDT reply actions
Shogun is someone that may actually have a fast enough leg kick that they can take advantage of Machida’s lead leg being out in front so much. Shogun has to get out quickly to avoid that incredibly fast straigt left, but if Shogun can do that a few times and damage 1 of Machida’s wheels/blades… things could get interesting. Nobody has thought of kicks as a possible weapon against a karate guy, but that’s what I see… I love Machida, but all this talk about him not losing for years… seems to be a curse, plus the fact he got Shogun instead of Rampage as his first defense… who could actually take advantage of this… while Rampage is a perfect matchup for Machida.
Machida and Shogun are my 2 fav fighters… I just hope it’s good then they don’t lose again to anybody else in the division till the rematch with the other winning then. lol
by The Prodi-G$ on May 31, 2009 12:52 PM EDT reply actions
Hey Jackson u forgot how U would grease him up like the rest of your fighters! jackson is so full of himself it makes me sick.
by jamie on May 31, 2009 7:52 PM EDT reply actions
First of all, Hughes is NOT saying Evans should have/could have won. So all of you retards that are saying ‘Matt is right, Evans is the best and Machida sucks, blah blah…..’
Hughes was sayings that Evans could have done much better! I agree with that, Evans came to the table with nothing but some overrated boxing skills that got hm nowhere. I think his KO over Liddell got to his head.
Evans could have done better, and “made more of a fight of it”, but in the end, Machida had his number and would have won anyway. I mean, get real people, what else does Machida have to do to prove himself. Your could have/should have arguments are pointless: Machida won decisively and will be holding the belt for a long time… you will be eating crow!
by JS on Jun 1, 2009 11:39 AM EDT reply actions
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