Who is Lyoto Machida? Our Collective Ryu

In less than 48 hours, Lyoto Machida will be the UFC light-heavyweight champion of the world.

I said it before and I’ll say it again: I don’t think Evans can win this fight. He’s got knockout power, yes, but his best chance is on the ground, punching from inside Machida’s guard. 

Unfortunately for him, Machida has excellent takedown defense, black belt ground skills, and is perhaps the best striker in MMA, with the possible exception of his teammate, Anderson Silva.

Machida will frustrate Evans, outstriking him on his feet, resisting his takedown attempts (the guy trains in Sumo wrestling, for God’s sake) and surviving on the ground. Machida by unanimous decision: four rounds to one.

While we are on the topic, MMA bloggers keep asking the same question: Who is Lyoto Machida? Their curiosity is driven, they say, by Lyoto’s background (of which there is apparently not much information...although there seems to be plenty online), coupled by the fact that he’s a man of few words.

Um, okay. You want him to recline on a couch and tell you that his mom abandoned the family? That he fights because it is the only way he can feel yoked to the universe’s collective umbilical cord? Blah-blah-blah!

Why are we UFC fans so adamant about contextualizing the back-stories of our favorite fighters? Why do we care who Lyoto Machida really is?

I think it is because we look at fighters as pseudo-super heroes (or comic book characters), rather than just pure athletes. Remember how much fun it was to debate exposition about our favorite Street Fighter II characters?

Who got their black belt first? Ken or Ryu? Could Barlog beat Mike Tyson in a boxing match? Was Blanka ever a human being, or was he born a mutant?

On and on and on…..Jesus Christ. I doubt we did the same thing with the dudes in Arch Rivals or Excite Bike.