Machida: I Was Looking For The Knock Out...He Was Just Trying To Chop My Leg"

I promise this will absolutely be the last post detailing the fall-out from the main event at UFC 104. The above video is a bit long, but Machida makes some interesting comments about his controversial decision win over Rua. He also discusses his plans for the rematch. Plus, the video features some decent fight footage if you haven't seen it recently.

I've been on the road the last few days, so I haven't been able to update as often as I'd like. If it helps, I'm planning to write a fairly long preview post for this weekend's Strikeforce event on CBS. It should be a heck of a show.

Lyoto Machida: "The American Commentators Were Pretty Much Biased"

UFC light heavyweight champ, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida spoke with sherdog.com today to share his feelings on Saturday's controversial decision. Many who saw the fight, myself included, judged it in favor of Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, but Lyoto feels that many of our opinions may have been swayed by biased play calling from Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg. He says he has faith in the competence of the official judges and that he came closer to finishing "Shogun," which rightly turned the decision in his favor.

“I thought it was a very even and tough fight,” Machida said. “I had the opportunity to see the fight again and I thought I won four rounds and Shogun took the last one. Some people say he won the fourth and fifth round, but for sure I won at least the first three rounds. The American commentators were pretty much biased. If you see the fight without audio, you will probably see a different fight. Shogun was a great opponent and had a nice strategy. He deserves all my respect as a fighter, but I was superior. I had three or four chances to finish the fight, and he never put me in danger. I didn’t get (dazed) at any moment of the fight, but I put him in danger three or four times. He kicked my legs a couple of times, but he wouldn’t knock me out with that.”

On the one hand, I agree that the commentary was ridiculously biased. Being a Machida fan, I was criticizing Rogan's skewed commentary throughout the fight. Whenever the fighters exchanged blows, Joe would only mention the shots that "Shogun" landed and almost never pointed out Machida's. Don't get me wrong, I still believe "Shogun" did just enough to win round one, as well as handily winning rounds four and five, and, thus, he took the fight on my card. Still, this fight was extremely technical and very close. People who say it was one of the biggest blown calls in UFC history need to rewatch the fight, perhaps, as Machida suggests, with the sound turned off.

Also, I think there is something to Machida's argument that he tried much harder to finish the fight. On some level, such high-risk-high-reward attempts as flying knees and barrages of punches could rationally be scored with more weight than even repeated leg kicks, which are extremely unlikely to force a conclusion to a bout.

Salaries and Bonuses for UFC 104

Lyoto Machida was the highest payed athlete at UFC 104 last Saturday, but Pat Barry was the night's big winner. He took home nearly ten times his contracted purse when he was doubly rewarded for both "Fight" and "Knock Out of the Night." Anthony Johnson, on the other hand, was the night's biggest goat. After missing weight by a whopping six pounds, he was forced to forfeit %20 of his purse to his opponent and was also declared ineligible for "Knock Out of the Night" despite pulling off a beauty that surely would have netted him the award.

The total payroll was $922, 000 (before bonuses), with the main event fighters snagging %38.5 of the booty. UFC 104 attracted 14, 892 paid attendees for a live gate of $1.9 million. Don't forget, the UFC makes the majority of its profits from the PPV buys.


Lyoto Machida: $200,000 (no win bonus)
def. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua: $155,000

Cain Velasquez: $70,000 (includes $35,000 win bonus)
def. Ben Rothwell: $50,000

Gleison Tibau: $38,000 ($19,000 win bonus)
def. Josh Neer: $14,000

Joe Stevenson: $94,000 ($47,000 win bonus)
def. Spencer Fisher: $26,000

Anthony Johnson: $30,0000 ($15,000 win bonus) -%20 of this total= $24, 000
def. Yoshiyuki Yoshida: $12,000 + Johnson's penalty of $,6000 = $18,000

Ryan Bader: $30,000 ($15,000 win bonus)
def. Eric Schafer: $13,000

Pat Barry: $14,000 ($7,000 win bonus) + $120, 000 for Fight Of the Night and K.O. of the Night= $134,000
def. Antoni Hardonk: $16,000 + $60,000 for "Fight of the Night" = $76,000

Chael Sonnen: $54,000 ($27,000 win bonus)
def. Yushin Okami: $18,000

Jorge Rivera: $36,000 ($18,000 win bonus)
def. Rob Kimmons: $9,000

Kyle Kingsbury: $16,000 ($8,000 win bonus)
def. Razak Al-Hassan: $3,000

Stefan Struve: $14,000 ($7,000 win bonus) + $60,000 for "Submission of the Night" = $74,000
def. Chase Gormley: $10,000

UFC 104: Post Fight Press Conference

Click above to hear reactions from Dana White and several fighters from UFC 104 regarding Saturday's controversial tittle-fight decision. Dana also comments on what many thought was a premature stoppage to Velasquez vs. Rothwell.

UFC 104: Results

UFC 104 QUICK RESULTS:

***Lyoto Machida def. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua via Uunanimous Decision

***Cain Velasquez def. Ben Rothwell via TKO (Strikes), Rd. 2

***Gleison Tibau def. Josh Neer via Unanimous Decision

***Joe Stevenson def. Spencer Fisher via TKO (strikes), Rd. 2

***Anthony “Rumble” Johnson def. Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida via TKO (strikes), Rd.1

***Ryan “Darth” Bader def. Eric “Red” Schafer via Unanimous Decision

***Pat Barry def. Antoni Hardonk via TKO (strikes), Rd. 2

///Chael Sonnen def. Yushin “Thunder” Okami via Unanimous Decision

///Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera def. Rob “The Rosedale Reaper” Kimmons via TKO (strikes), Rd. 3

***Kyle Kingsbury defeats Razak Al-Hassan via Split Decision

///Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve defeats Chase Gormley via Submission (Triangle Choke), Rd. 1

*** = Correct Pick. --- /// = Incorrect Pick.

I went 1-3 with my predictions for the first four fights, but then I ran the table on the last seven to finish the night 8-3 (%72.7). That brings my overall score to 106-59 (%64.2) and 12-4 (%75.0) in main events.

Obviously, I'm happy with that result, but first let me just say that I personally scored the main event for Mauricio Rua. I believe "Shogun" clearly won the fourth and fifth rounds, and I also gave him the first round based on effective counters as well some solid body shots and leg kicks. That being said, I can also understand the argument for giving Lyoto Machida the first round and "The Dragon" convincingly won the second and third. In that first round, Machida landed a devastating knee to the body and a few other significant shots. So, while it wasn't enough for me to give Machida the opening round and thus the fight, I don't think this was an epically horrible call, as some are suggesting. Dana White already stated that a rematch is imminent. I can't wait.

More thoughts:

• Cain Velasquez may not have finished Ben Rothwell, but he was definitely going to.
• Steve Mazzagatti should have let Rothwell continue a while longer, but "Big" Ben should be happy that he was allowed to save face. You complaining about a bad call is always a better image to leave the fans with than you getting TKO'ed.
  
• Glieson Tibau ran through Josh Neer on those takedowns like a Dwight Freeny through a line of red rover, didn't he? Gray Maynard eat your heart out.
  
• Joe Stevenson is officially a contender once more; Spencer Fisher is officially a gatekeeper for life.
• If Anthony Johnson is actually able to make 170lbs., he's a true force at WW. He could be just two wins away from a title shot if he keeps demolishing guys the way he did against Yoshida.
• Maybe the UFC will finally put Yushin Okami back on a main card now that they don't have to worry about the fact that any impressive win should earn him a title shot.
• Props to Chael Sonnen for staying aggressive in that fight. In my opinion, he has never looked that good before, including in the Dan Miller fight.
  
• Even though I didn't pick it and the UFC didn't show it, I love that Jorge Rivera win. He'll never be a contender at MW, but he showed tonight that he can still bang. He deserves every cent of whatever he made at UFC 104, and probably more.
• It turns out that Stefan Struve's submissions ARE good enough to finish a grown-ass man. Good to know.
  

UFC 104: Predictions

I've been writing UFC predictions for over a year, starting with UFC 88: Breakthrough on September 6th, 2008. My peak was %69.4 (25-11) in late 2008. In the spring of 2009 I hit my all-time low of %62.6 (67-40). Currently, I'm sitting at %63.6 (98-56) and %73.3 (11-4) in main events.

Edit: Originally, it was written above that I was 10-3 in main events, it should have read as it does now: 11-4.

Even my lowest success rate wasn't that shabby by MMA standards. It's difficult to predict because each fighter possesses unique skills, often in disciplines at which his or her opponent is only passably competent. For example, at UFC 106 (Nov. 21st), it will be difficult to gauge how Karo Parysian's (18-5, 8-3 UFC) judo will match up against Dustin Hazelett's (12-4, 5-2 UFC) Brazilian Jiu jitsu (BJJ). Then there's the subjective aspect of MMA. Judging is a necessary evil, but it's frustrating when you feel your fighter was robbed. On top of that, mixed martial artists are often (T)KO'ed or submitted after making just one mistake. Imagine if a fumble or missed block by a single player could instantly end a football game in the first quarter!

Check out: mmaplayground.com. It's a website where players form teams and compete to see who can correctly pick the most matches. My current record of %63.6 (98-56) compares favorably with the leading teams in the largest divisions. Certainly, many individual players are ahead of me, but even the very best Super-Heavyweight group, with a %64.3 average, is well within my reach.

If you're interested in receiving a Word document that contains all my previous picks, just send an e-mail request to: bcmmafan@gmail.com.

Next to each fighter's name you'll see the most recent betting odds from bodog.ca. The odds are given in the American decimal system, which is pretty simple once you know how to read it. The negative number, for favorites, shows how many dollars you'd have to bet to profit $100. The positive number, for underdogs, is how much you would earn from a $100 bet. Ca va?

Main event:

Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida (-375) vs. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua (+290)

As recently as this Tuesday, UFC light heavyweight champion, Lyoto Machida (15-0, 7-0 UFC) was listed at -500 on bodog.ca. Since then, the scales have tipped more than 100 points in favor of Mauricio Rua. That means almost all the money has been pouring in on "Shogun." However, that doesn't indicate that MMA fans think he'll beat Machida. Rather, it suggests that betters saw enough value in the line to warrant a high-risk bet on Rua.

Realistically, "Shogun's" aggressive, come-forward approach should play right into Machida's methodical, counter-striking hands, feet, and knees. "The Dragon" is a patient, but devastating striker who makes opponents pay dearly for even the slightest tactical error. I expect to see "Shogun" getting visibly outclassed tomorrow night and I don't expect he'll make it to the fourth round. His best chance for victory is to utilize his under appreciated BJJ to test Machida's as-yet unknown submission defense. Unfortunately, Rua's wrestling is not as stellar, so he'll have a tough time getting the scrap to the mat. Meanwhile Machida's take-down defense is almost as stifling as his striking defense. Plus, he trains frequently with BJJ masters like Anderson Silva and the Nogueira Brothers (Roderigo and Rogerio). So, even if we haven't seen it much, it's pretty safe to assume that "The Dragon's" submission defense is rock solid.

I expect "Shogun" to start off very carefully, but to become increasingly frustrated as he finds himself unable to either catch Machida standing or take him down. Once he's frustrated, Rua will get sloppy. Shortly after that, "The Dragon" will put him on the wrong end of a highlight reel, like he's done to every other UFC opponent. Notch another victory, and the first ever title defense, for the Karate Kid from Belem, Brazil.

Machida by TKO, Rd. 3

Main card (Televised):

265 lbs.: Cain Velasquez (-350) vs. “Big” Ben Rothwell (+275)

Like many MMA fans, I'm not convinced that, Mexican-American, Cain Velasquez (6-0, 4-0 UFC) is the threat to the heavyweight (HW) crown that Dana White and the UFC would have you believe. What we've seen from him in the octagon so far is that he can soundly trounce second-rate fighters [Brad Morris (0-2 UFC), Jake O'Brian (4-3 UFC), and Dennis Stojnic (0-2 UFC)], and that he can out-wrestle Chieck Kongo (14-5-1, 7-3 UFC). Kongo, of course, is a talented striker whose takedown defense is comparable to that of a dairy cow: apply firm sideways pressure and he tips over almost immediately.

Don't get me wrong, Velasquez is a two-time All-American wrestler, possesses abundant cardio, and has decent striking. So he's clearly a HW contender. Still, his submission defense has yet to be tested, he's a bit undersized for HW at 238lbs., and there are lingering questions about his chin. Ben Rothwell (30-6, 0-0 UFC) thinks he can provide clarity and hopes that the answer regarding Cain's suspect chin is that he really doesn't have one. "Big" Ben is a veteran fighter with nearly three times as many (T)KO's (17) as Velasquez has fights. He's 6'5", 265 lbs., and has traded shots with, former UFC HW champ, Andrei Arlovski. Unsurprisingly, he's convinced that his size, punching power, and experience will carry the day. Unfortunately for Ben, it will be his lack of a fully-developed wrestling game that proves his undoing.

Cain Velasquez must have learned from the Kongo fight that damage adds up fast against the freaky, giant, mutants in the upper ranks of the UFC's HW division. This time out he should have prepared a game plan that plays to his strength on the mats. I'm just not sure what the undersized Velasquez will do when he runs into some of the UFC's castaways from Skull Island, like Brock Lesnar, Shane Carwin or Gabriel Gonzaga, who can grapple as well as Cain does AND hit harder than he could ever hope to.

Velasquez by Unanimous Decision

155 lbs.: Joe “Daddy” Stevenson (-270) vs. Spencer “The King” Fisher (+205)

Both these guys have had roller-coaster careers, but, Joe "Daddy" Stevenson's (30-10, 7-4 UFC) has had more ups than downs. He won The Ultimate Fighter 2 in 2005, has appeared in multiple main events, and was granted a lightweight (LW) title fight in January, 2008. Sure he has lost two of his last three fights, but he's one of those fighters that always seems to catch breaks in terms of exposure. Spencer Fisher's (23-4, 8-3 UFC) story has been the exact opposite. His UFC record is very similar to Stevenson's, but he's never appeared in a main event and, to this point, his career highlight is a dramatic decision win over unheralded Sam Stout (14-5-1, 3-4 UFC) in 2007. It's funny to me how similar these guys are, though. Stevenson, a so-called submissions artist, has submitted only one opponent since early 2007. While Fisher, who is known for throwing leather, hasn't finished anyone via strikes since 2006. So, neither has lived up to his billing of late. Both their games have become more rounded recently, but neither has what I would describe as a complete skill set.

Ultimately, I'll go with Stevenson because he's been in the octagon with better opposition on average. He should also be physically stronger, which will help in transitions and thus enable him to secure favorable positions on the ground. This could be Fisher's last chance to make a big splash in the LW division, but I think it will be one more case of close-but-no-cigar for "The King."

Stevenson by Submission, Rd.3.

155 lbs.: Gleison Tibau (-135) vs. Josh “The Dentist” Neer (+105)

Make no mistake, Josh "The Dentist" Neer (25-8-1, 5-4 UFC) is a scary dude who can end a fight with his fists at any moment. He seems to love trading shots as much as most of us love sunshine and fresh air. Unfortunately for Neer, there's no way he could have closed the gaping holes in his ground game in the three short months since he spent 15 minutes as Kurt Pellegrino's grappling dummy at UFC 101. On top of that, Gleison Tibau's (19-6, 5-4 UFC) stand-up is a bit slicker, even if it's slightly less powerful. A skilled grappler like Tibau shouldn't have too much trouble exposing Neer's deficiencies on the ground.

Tibau by Submission, Rd.3

170 lbs.: Anthony “Rumble” Johnson (-450) vs. Yoshiyuki “Zenko” Yoshida (+300)

Anthony Johnson is just too big and powerful at WW for Yoshiyuki Yoshida to defeat him using his renowned judo skills. Johnson is so big, in fact, that he's rumored to cut down from over 200lbs. and missed weight for this fight by six pounds. Seriously, he needs to either overhaul his diet to drop some muscle or just give it up and head to 185lbs. Johnson's failure to make weight means that Yoshida will automatically receive %20 of "Rumble's" purse. The Japanese judoka will also receive a beating he won't soon forget.

Johnson by KO Rd. 2

Under Card (Guaranteed to Appear on Spike TV (6pm/PST):

205 lbs.: Ryan “Darth” Bader (-450) vs. Eric “Red” Schafer (+300)

Could Eric Schafer (11-3-2, 3-2 UFC ) catch Ryan Bader (9-0, 2-0 UFC) in a submission? Perhaps during a scramble? I guess so, and the LA Angels might still win the 2009 World Series. What's your point? Bader smashes him on the feet, then on the ground.

Bader by TKO, Rd. 1

265 lbs.: Antoni Hardonk (-140) vs. Patrick “Get Hype” Barry (+110)

I'm doing it. I'm picking my first upset at UFC 104. Maybe it's because I want to see Antoni Hardonk (8-5, 3-4 UFC) finally get bounced from the UFC. It could be because I think the diminutive Patrick Barry (4-1, 1-1 UFC) will make a decent light heavyweight one day, or just because I want to prove that I'm not totally risk averse, but I'm doing it. As long as this fight stays on the feet either guy has a chance. They've both finished a UFC fight via leg kicks (not an easy feat) in the past so you can bet that neither will be walking comfortably come Sunday morning.

Barry by TKO, Rd 3.

185 lbs.: Yushin “Thunder” Okami (-265) vs. Chael Sonnen (+205)

Yet again, Yushin Okami (23-4, 7-1 UFC) has been unceremoniously lumped in with the rabble deep down on the under card. Now that Lyoto Machida is finally getting his due, Okami is officially the UFC's resident Rodney Dangerfield-- he "gets no respect." Chael Sonnen (23-10-1, 2-3 UFC) is pretty decent and looked great in his last fight against Dan Miller at UFC 98. Still, he's not strong enough or patient enough to solve the riddle of Okami. Now if "Thunder" could just finish this fight maybe he'd get back on the main card where he belongs. Maybe he'd even get to fight a fellow contender again. Not likely.

Okami by Unanimous Decision

l85 lbs.: Rob “The Rosedale Reaper” Kimmons (-170) vs. Jorge “El Conquistador” Rivera (+140)

As much as I want to believe that Jorge Rivera (16-7, 6-5 UFC) has one last impressive K.O. in the tank, he's just too far past his prime to be tangling with a young prospect like Rob Kimmons (22-4, 2-1 UFC).

Kimmons By Submission, Rd. 2

205 lbs.: Kyle Kingsbury (-125) vs. Razak Al-Hassan (-105)

What can be said about Razak Al-Hassan (6-1, 0-1 UFC) except that he looked like crap in his UFC debut against Steve Cantwell even before Cantwell bent al-Hassan's elbow backward at a 45-degree angle. It was the type of performance you can't help but improve upon, but Ill take his opponent, Kyle Kingsbury (7-2, 0-1). That's based partly on the fact I've heard Kingsbury has some decent submissions, but mostly because I've never seen anyone fight as poorly as Al-Hassan in his UFC debut. At least Kingsbury lost his octagon debut in a lackluster decision that no one ever talks about. On thing's for sure, the loser of this fight leaves town.

Kingsbury by Submission, Rd. 1

265 lbs.: Chase Gormley (-250) vs. Stefan “Skyscraper” Struve (+190)

Stefan Struve (17-3, 1-1 UFC) is like that tall, lanky kid on the basketball team that towered over everyone, but still got noogies from the point guard on the team bus. Yeah, "Skyscraper's" submission skills are supposedly decent, but Chase Gormley (6-0, 0-0 UFC) is a grown-ass man.

Gormley by TKO, Rd 2

Trainer: Rua Is Training To Be "The Shogun"

Judging by this video, Mauricio Rua (18-3) is pretty fit and well-prepared for his title fight with Lyoto Machida (15-0) at UFC 104 (Oct. 24th). That wasn't a given, either, as "Shogun" has had multiple knee surgeries in the last two years. He also gassed pretty badly in his first two UFC fights, against Forrest Griffin (16-6) and Mark Coleman (16-9). PRIDE fans have been saying for years that a fit "Shogun" is the best light heavyweight in the world-- we'll finally know for sure this Saturday.

Dana White: More Antics Than You Can Shake A Schtick At

This is pretty much self-explanatory, but, for those who aren't familiar with his m.o., this is another of Dana White's video blogs. He often puts these out during fight weeks and I usually want that ten minutes of my life back after I watch them. Still, I generally do sit through the whole thing, so what does that say about me?

I already posted the first episode for UFC 104 right here.

UFC 104: Preview

It's been well over a month since Rich Franklin (25-5) suffered a first-round, TKO loss to Vitor Belfort (19-8) at UFC 103 (Sept. 13th). Since then, there have been no live UFC fights. That's a considerably longer break than fans have recently grown accustomed to, but, starting with UFC 104 (Oct. 24th), there are three UFC events scheduled in the next five weeks. One of which, UFC 105: Couture vs. Vera (Nov. 14th), will be shown for free on Spike TV, and the other, UFC 106: Lesnar vs. Ortiz (Nov. 21st), features three of MMA's biggest draws: Brock Lesnar (4-1), who will defend his heavyweight title, and a rematch between Tito Ortiz (15-6-1) and Forrest Griffin (16-6).

That UFC fans have so much to look forward to is great, but, unfortunately, the hype for those other cards has stolen some much-needed buzz away from UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun. It goes down this Saturday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and marks the UFC's return to L.A. after a two-year absence, which means that, if nothing else, there should be plenty of big-name celebrities in attendance! The pay-per-view (PPV) portion of the card begins at 7pm/PST and will be preceded by a commercial free broadcast, of at least two live under card fights, on Spike TV, beginning at 6pm/PST.

The lack of hype surrounding UFC 104 is also attributable to the seemingly limited interest, especially among casual fans, in the main event. It pits the UFC's reigning light heavyweight (LHW) champion, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0), against, fellow Brazilian, Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3). As a huge Machida fan and a believer that "Shogun" can recapture the brilliant form he showed in PRIDE, I am personally very interested to see this title fight, but, from a marketing perspective, it's clear that a number of factors are working against it.

First, neither fighter is a citizen of the USA, the U.K., or Canada. Second, neither speaks flawless English, and, third, both fighters are laid back enough not to have their personalities stick out in the minds of the public. It's a sad fact, but that combination of attributes can, and usually does, limit a fighter's marketability to the UFC fan-base. Brazil's Anderson Silva (25-4) has been fighting an uphill battle for fan interest for years, despite having an electrifying style and a %70 (T)KO rate in the UFC.

In addition, there's a perception among many UFC fans that "Shogun" has not done enough to deserve this title shot. After all, they say, he has gone just 2-1 in the octagon with wins over only past-their-prime fighters: 44-year-old Mark Coleman (16-9) and 39-year-old Chuck Liddell (21-7). The perception of "Shogun" as undeserving has been magnified by casino oddsmakers giving "The Dragon" about 1-to-5 odds. That means you'd have to wager $25 on Machida in order to win a mere five bucks. By contrast, "Shogun" is getting 13-to-4 odds, or over $80 profit on the same $25 bet. This apparent proof of an impending blow-out has only added to the public's notion that "Shogun" didn't earn this shot.

As is often the case, the reality of the situation is quite different from the perception. In truth, "Shogun" is a world-class fighter who was once ranked #1 at LHW and has lost just once (legitimately) since 2003. That loss came in his octagon debut at UFC 76 against, then, future LHW champion Forrest Griffin. Rua's only other recorded loss in the last six years was due to a freak arm injury he suffered in 2006 against Mark Coleman, but "Shogun" avenged that loss at UFC 93. Shogun is also a bonafide showman, known for pushing a relentless pace and throwing impressive flying knees. His muay thai striking is highly advanced and may be just what's needed to penetrate Machida's seemingly impervious defenses.

The fact is, Machida has been so dominant in the UFC, going 7-0 without losing a single round, that only a handful of fighters would be given even the same odds to slay "The Dragon" than "Shogun" is getting now. In fact, there is probably only one recent LHW combatant currently in the UFC who would receive significantly better odds. That fighter is Anderson Silva, but he's currently the middleweight (MW) champion and is also such good friends with Machida that Zuffa, the holding company that owns the UFC, would literally have to pay both fighters a million dollars to get them to square off. With other LHW contenders like Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva (14-1), and Rashad Evans (14-1-1) all having just lost to Machida, and "Rampage" Jackson (30-7) currently claiming he's retired, there is simply no LHW more deserving than "Shogun."

Ironically, the biggest reason for the limited buzz surrounding UFC 104 may be that Lyoto Machida looks poised to dominate the division indefinitely. Joe Rogan certainly seemed convinced of that when he famously welcomed fans to "The Machida Era" immediately following Lyoto's near-flawless destruction of then-champion Rashad Evans at UFC 98. As long as Machida's star power remains limited (for reasons mentioned above) and his style continues to confound opponents, it will be difficult for Dana White & company to promote his matches. The UFC is currently marketing him as a vaguely mysterious, karate-kid-esque figure, but it's not clear yet if the fan-base will respond to that approach. While "The Dragon's" otherworldly skill may be hampering UFC 104's attractiveness to consumers, it's also the best reason to tune in on Saturday. Lyoto Machida is one of only a handful of current fighters that consistently elevate MMA to its rightful place as a breathtaking art form-- the opportunity to witness him fight should not be passed up lightly.

Of course, there's also a highly decent main card scheduled for UFC 104. It's chock-full of fierce strikers like Josh "The Dentist" Neer, Anthony "Rumble" Johnson, and Spencer "The King" Fisher. It includes a co-main event, that's likely a HW title shot eliminator, between, fast-rising Mexican-American superstar, Cain Velasquez and, highly experienced bruiser/UFC newcomer, "Big" Ben Rothwell. There's not a single PPV fight that appears likely to make it to the judges scorecards.


The following rankings come courtesy of the USA Today/SB Nation poll, which compiles results from twenty different MMA websites to create the most comprehensive rankings available.

Ranked fighters at UFC 104 include:
Lyoto Machida (LHW #1), Mauricio Rua (LHW #4), Cain Velasquez (HW #11), Ben Rothwell (HW #19), Joe Stevenson (LW #20), Spencer Fisher (LW #21), Yushin Okami (MW #4), and Chael Sonnen (MW #10).

"UFC 104: Machida vs. Shogun" Is Scheduled As Follows:

MAIN EVENT (PPV)
Lyoto Machida (15-0) vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3) --- For Machida's UFC Light Heavyweight Title.

MAIN CARD (PPV)
Ben Rothwell (36-6) vs. Cain Velasquez (6-0)
Josh Neer (25-8-1) vs. Gleison Tibau (19-6)
Spencer Fisher (23-4) vs. Joe Stevenson (30-10)
Anthony Johnson (7-2) vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida (11-3)

PRELIMINARY CARD (Guaranteed to air on Spike TV)
Ryan Bader (9-0) vs. Eric Schafer (11-3-2)
Patrick Barry (4-1) vs. Antoni Hardonk (8-5)

PRELIMINARY CARD (May not be televised)
Yushin Okami (23-4)vs. Chael Sonnen (23-10-1)
Rob Kimmons (22-4) vs. Jorge Rivera (16-7)
Razak Al-Hassan (6-1) vs. Kyle Kingsbury (7-2)
Stefan Struve (17-3) vs. Chase Gormley (6-0)

"Countdown To UFC 104" Airs Tonight On Spike At 8pm PST

Solving Lyoto Machida | UFC | SPIKE.com

I know there's a Vancouver Canucks game on tonight, but if you're looking for something to watch during the second intermission or you're just not that into hockey, Spike TV is airing their "Countdown To UFC 104" tonight at 8 pm/ PST. Click the video link above for a short sample.

Don't stress if you can't catch the show tonight. Spike TV will replay the hour-long program on Wednesday (Oct. 21st) at 8:00 PM, Thursday (Oct. 22nd) at 10:00 PM, and one last time on Saturday (Oct. 24th) at 5:00 PM. That final showing airs immediately before Spike goes live for their hour of commercial-free under card fights.

If you're more of a night-owl, Sportsnet Pacific will also air "Countdown To UFC 104" at midnight on this Thursday (Oct. 22nd) and Friday (Oct. 23rd) night. Uh..or at 12:00 AM in the morning this Friday (Oct. 23rd) and Saturday (Oct. 24th). It depends how you look at it.

Ben Rothwell Thinks He's A Solid Bet At UFC 104.

A co-main event fighter at this Saturday's UFC 104,"Big" Ben Rothwell (30-6) talked in this interview with cagepotato.com about his impending showdown with undefeated Cain Velasquez (6-0). It's a wide-ranging discussion in which Rothwell discusses improving his physique, hitting Velasquez like he's never been hit before, and being a 2-1 underdog:

"The way I look at it, I’m going to make some gamblers some money. He’s got a lot of hype behind him and that’s why he’s the favorite. I welcome that. I have a chance to make all the gamblers happy."

Rothwell, who is making his octagon debut this weekend, enters this fight as a bit of an unknown commodity to many UFC fans, but "Big" Ben is nobody's pushover. He'll look to use this fight to catapult himself into contention for the heavyweight strap, and he just might be able to do it given that he's physically larger and much more experienced than Velasquez. Rothwell has been on a 14-1 run over the last four years. In that time, he has ended ten fights by way of strikes, including two submissions due to strikes.

So, about those odds... any takers?

UFC 104: Early Thoughts

It's still almost a month away, but I figure it's never too soon to get geared up for a UFC that features Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida (15-0) in the main event.

If you're wondering why Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (18-3) is getting a title shot after going just 2-1 in the octagon, there are actually a couple of good reasons.

First, because the UFC's next best option was probably Rich Franklin (25-5), or Jon Jones (9-0), or...uh...well, there just wasn't anybody else who didn't already have a fight scheduled.

Oh yeah, and it's also because "Shogun" is a certified bad-ass who was once ranked #1 in the world at light-heavyweight. He holds quality wins over Chuck Liddell (21-7), Quinton Jackson (30-7), Antonio "Little Nog" Nogueira (17-3), and Ricardo Arona (14-5), among others.

Rua even went 13-1 against a murderer's row of opponents in Pride FC. His only defeat in that span was due to a fluke arm injury that he sustained against Mark Coleman-- Shogun later avenged that loss at UFC 93. If the best "Shogun" we've seen yet steps into the octagon on October 24th, his striking should be dynamic enough to at least make things interesting.

Having said that, I, like most, fully expect "The Dragon" to officially usher in what Joe Rogan called "The Machida Era" by retaining his belt at UFC 104. Interestingly, no UFC light-heavyweight has successfully defended the title since Quinton Jackson beat Dan Henderson (25-7) by unanimous decision at UFC 75-- over two years ago!

The rest of the card is pretty solid, but I'll have more on those match-ups as we get closer to fight night:

Main Event

Champ Lyoto Machida vs. Mauricio "Shogun" Rua

Main Card

Ben Rothwell vs. Cain Velasquez
Josh Neer vs. Gleison Tibau
Spencer Fisher vs. Joe Stevenson
Anthony Johnson vs. Yoshiyuki Yoshida

Under Card

Yushin Okami vs. Chael Sonnen
Patrick Barry vs. Antoni Hardonk
Rob Kimmons vs. Jorge Rivera
Ryan Bader vs. Eric Schafer
Razak Al-Hassan vs. Kyle Kingsbury
Chase Gormley vs. Stefan Struve