Could Kryptonite Stop Superman? Not In The Judges Eyes

   Good Morning “Sports Fans.” A quick question for you all…Is the U.F.C. using figure skating judges now to score the main events and Championship fights?

   Just wondering. I’ve gone over the Machida vs. Rua fight. I watched it from start to finish a few times. I saw Rua score a plethora of leg and body kicks. I also watched Machida counter about 25-30% effectively to answer Rua’s cerebral attack.

   I picked Rua to win this in the third round via TKO. I may very well have been the only person on the planet other than Rua and his camp to think he had a chance of winning this thing.

   Once again, Machida is a great fighter, although highly over rated, and I think Saturday Rua showed us that “the Dragon” isn’t Bruce Lee. In fact he’s not even close. And for the record “Sports Fans” Bruce Lee didn’t do Karate.

   Who did Machida beat to garner this “Bruce Lee”, or “Superman” status? Was it his decision over Hoger or David Heath?  Maybe it was his sub mission of  Sokoudjou? The close decision over Tito? Or the destruction of Rashad Evans? Maybe it’s because he has a decision over B.J. Penn?

   Saturday evening fans at the Staples Center were treated to a physical “chess match” in the “octagon” as two great fighters strategically and methodically tried to break down the others defenses.

   It was an awesome fight and close. Not nearly as close as the judges seen it, but Rua didn’t effectively take away the title.

   Hold on before you go jumping on me trying for a ground and pound finish here. I saw the fight. In my opinion Rua won, I’ll give him 3 rounds. My reasons are this, on 4 separate occasions Rua tried to take Machida down and was unsuccessful…points for Machida for stuffing the take downs…that’s huge “Sports Fans.”
   Every time Rua threw a strike Machida countered, he may not have landed them all but he answered most of them. This is what I believe the judges at cage side saw. Like most of you I didn’t see these counter strikes being all that effective, but just by throwing them helped make his/Machida’s case in the judges/jury’s eyes.

   The jury/judges also didn’t notice that Machida was a little light footed in the last two rounds due to the vicious leg kicks thrown by Rua, Machida was hobbled for the last two rounds.

   Rua may not have gotten the decision but I think he may have won a lot of fans back and gained many new ones, so ultimately Rua wins the equivalent of the “Congeniality Award” in a beauty contest. Good for him. Coming in to this fight a lot of you were saying “ he’s done,” “ he’s washed up,” “he can’t win because he can’t head stomp like he did in Pride.”

   Now Rua is on the Radar again in the MMA game and the U.F.C. The “truth” is he was and should have always been there.

   As bad of a decision as it was, I believe this was and is a good result. It puts Rua, a great fighter back in our sights and hopefully takes away some of the “candy coating” “Superman,” shine off of the “Dragon.”

   In the beginning of round one Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg were talking about Machida this and Machida that, half way through the round because of Rua’s game plan they started talking about Rua. I heard some say it was the most one sided commentary they had heard. If so it’s because of the hype of the Machida “Superman” persona and suddenly before their own eyes it disappeared and they had something else to talk about. Rogan and Goldie did a great job.

   News Flash “Sports Fans.” Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida is beatable you may have seen this Saturday night. If and when you see the rematch Rua will be “The New Light Heavyweight Champion of the World.” Hey Machida “Superman” Rua has the kryptonite.