UFC 140 Results: 5 Things We Learned About Lyoto Machida

This picture may be a little barbaric, but it's the only one that truly encompasses the dominance that Lyoto Machida experienced at the hands of Jon Jones at UFC 140.

Jones, who defended his UFC light heavyweight title for the second-straight time, ended the fight in Round 2 via one of the nastiest standing guillotines in MMA history.

A fight that was suppose to showcase the shear skills of two of the UFC's most unorthodox and proficient strikers, ultimately ended with Jones' hands raised and Machida looking like something you'd find on the side of the road.

However, the karate-based fighter displayed some significant ability against one of the most elusive fighters around, especially in the first round.

With that said, basing nearly everything on the future of Machida and how good Jones really is, here are five things we initially learned about "The Dragon" from UFC 140.

5. His Scrambling Abilities Are Sub-Par

Lyoto Machida is no chump when it comes to his ground game, but his aggressive striking has definitively lead to him being unable to successfully scramble on his feet.

When Machida lunges for strikes, he leaves himself vulnerable on the feet by limiting his ability to sustain a balanced front.

This has directly affected his inability to limit takedowns.

This was never more evident than his fight against Jon Jones at UFC 140.  After striking with Jones, Machida was taken down by the champ with ease. 

The result?  Take a look at the picture above.  Jones busted Machida open with vicious elbows, resulting in one of the nastiest cuts I've seen in awhile.

Heading into 2012, Machida needs to learn to balance his attack and sufficiently defend the takedown, which more often than not a result from his unorthodox striking attack.

4. Machida Needs to Train with Other UFC Fighters

The fact of the matter is that Lyoto Machida has learned everything he knows, and uses in the cage, from his father.

That's not a bad thing, and I'm certain he has trained in other fighting aspects than karate, but when you consider the level of talent that the UFC possesses today (Jon Jones), especially in the light heavyweight division, it's important for Machida to branch-out and learn new disciplines.

Again, he has done this in the past, but nothing to the extent of training with current UFC fighters for months on end in order to round-out some of his in-cage weakness.

In the future, against top-notch opponents like Jones and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua, it may be detrimental to Machida's winning ability if he fails to train outside the box.

3. His Chin Isn't the Best

I don't have much to base this on, but I don't really consider Lyoto Machida as a guy who can take consistent punishment.

He got tagged by Jon Jones in the second round after lunging for his own strike, which led to Jones taking him down and landing that previously mentioned elbow.

Later in that round, Machida also got dropped by a Jones left hook, leaving him open for the eventual standing guillotine.

But besides his fight with one of the best strikers on the planet, Machida has shown in the past that taking a devastating punch isn't his forte, such as his losing efforts against Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 113.

Once again, to avoid getting hit with a knockout blow, Machida needs to limit his in and out lunging that has left him unable to defend himself.  That may be the only way he knows how to strike, but when you're facing a polished striker like Jones, taking one to the chin will never end well.

2. His Striking Is Overaggressive

In the past, Lyoto Machida's aggressive striking has done wonders for his karate-based skill set in allowing him to find range, strike with consistency and put opponents away.

However, his inability to sufficiently cover up and reduce damage has seemingly transformed one of his strongholds into a blinding weakness.

In a fight where Machida was facing a taller, stronger and more well-rounded striker in Jon Jones, his simple disregard for the champ's counter-striking ability ultimately resulted in Machida getting tagged after throwing lunging punches in bunches.

The fact of the matter is that Machida has slightly trickled off from his usual standup dominance. 

The fight against Jones proved that an overaggressive Machida doesn't bode well, at all, against any striker willing to stand in the pocket and counter his abrasive punches.

1. He's Still Top 5

At this point in his career, Lyoto Machida still has to be considered a top-five light heavyweight fighter.

Sure, the 33-year-old just got choked-out on his feet by one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, and lost his rematch with Mauricio "Shogun" Rua at UFC 113 via a first-round TKO, but Machida's resume, skill-set, relatively undamaged body and his dedication are key indicators that we haven't seen the last of him fighting for UFC gold.

Remember, Machida landed some solid shots on Jon Jones in the first round, which was the most damage Jones had ever experienced inside the Octagon.  He was the first guy to put a look of concern on the light heavyweight champion's face.

With all of that said, beyond Jones, Rashad Evans, Dan Henderson, Phil Davis and Rua, Machida still ranks amongst the division's best.

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