Anderson "The Spider" Silva (23-4 with 14 KOs) is a name that Mixed Martial Arts fans are more than well acquainted with. Anderson is the 185-pound UFC champion, and rated by many experts as—pound for pound—the greatest Mixed Martial Arts fighter on the planet.
Disrespected and misunderstood by some, loved and much admired by others, Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida is also a name that many fans are well acquainted with, and there exists a great divide among fans regarding the style of this extremely skilled MMA fighter.
Mainly, due to his cautious, defensive style Machida is often overlooked as a pound-for-pound successor to the great Anderson Silva, but with all the right fights and the right wins in this new year, 2009 or early next year can potentially and officially change the opinions of all his closed minded detractors.
This young MMA superstar and undefeated fighter (13-0-3 by KO) is no beginner, he started training in Shotokan Karate at age three; later at age 12, the young Machida began training and developing his strength in the art of sumo wrestling. Though he didn't know it at the time, he was already learning the basics of MMA.
A karate black belt at age 13 and definitely on his way, at the tender age of 15 a young Machida witnessed the great BJJ skills of legendary MMA pioneer Royce Gracie on a video of UFC 1—he was immediately hooked; he then started training diligently in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
As a snot-nosed teenager, Machida already had a clear blueprint and a rock solid foundation for the sturdy, well-rounded MMA fighter that we know and admire today. Still, there exists critics because, to the average fan or the untrained eye, Machida appears to be running, or being lethargic.
Personally, I love to watch Machida's fights; to me, it's similar to holding a beautiful, loaded, Smith & Wesson .44 calibre revolver, the gun has the potential to create devastatingly violent circumstances; ironically, that wont happen unless the trigger is pulled. So you see, Machida isn't boring to me because I respect the showstopping violence that he is capable of producing.
In his last few fights, Machida has been called "boring" for employing his Shotokan karate as a defensive tool; Machida circled the octagon, taking advantage of his opponents by counter-punching off their careless mistakes.
As Machida's opponents tried repeatedly in vain to gain access to striking range, they would unknowingly leave themselves wide open; this "luring in" tactic is also used by Anderson Silva.
Machida has been a black belt in Shotokan since age 13; Frank Trigg has been a victim of Machida's kicks in sparring sessions, and has spoken highly of them. He also used a karate leg sweep on B.J. Penn in the second round of their fight.
Machida has also used a variety of back kicks in the dominant beat-downs of Tito Ortiz, Rich Franklin, and Stephan Bonnar.
Machida's first two fights in the UFC were against Sam "the Alaskan Assassin" Hoger at UFC 67 and David Heath at UFC 70, both were victories by unanimous decision.
At UFC 79, he easily spoiled the coming-out party of Pride FC up-and-comer Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou in the second round, using a powerful strangling move called an "arm triangle choke."
Machida's detractors view his defensive approach as boring, which diminishes from the entertaining aspect of the sport, but I'm speaking here as a supporter and fan of his style.
Watching Machida in action is an acquired taste, a delicacy similar to caviar; the people who like it will pay top dollar to eat the best, but the other folks who cant stomach it see it as the eggs of a dead fish.
"Genius is one per cent inspiration, ninety-nine per cent perspiration."
—Thomas Edison
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