The Way of the Shogun: The Machida ERROR (Part 2)

Due to some injuries in the UFC and prior obligations with Rampage Jackson and Rashad Evans hosting a season of The Ultimate Fighter, Shogun is offered a title shot with the undefeated and unscathed Lyoto "The Dragon" Machida much to the dismay of many UFC fans. Machida is one of the most unique and dangerous fighters in the world. Entering the fight with Shogun, I don't think Machida has even lost a round in his career. He is ranked among the pound-for-pound bests of the sport and he has a tremendous legion of fans that support him and his karate style. He is a throw-back to the days when people wondered if Bruce Lee was the baddest man to walk the planet.

There weren't many people giving Shogun any chance in this fight. Even though his last fight against Chuck Liddell was a vintage performance, people are now saying Chuck Liddell is washed up, too old, and his chin is shot. The same odds Forrest Griffin faced many years ago when he stepped up to fight Shogun, are now being placed on Rua for his fight with Lyoto. The tables have turned. Shogun is the one who many believe will not exceed the first round. On websites, all I can read our phrases of "Machida by murder", "Machida by anything he wants", "R.I.P. Shogun" etc...


I have a strange feeling about this fight. Shogun and Machida trained together once upon a time, and there are whispers coming out from mutual friends that trained with them that Shogun used to get the better of Machida in sparring sessions. Of course that is just sparring, but even in pre-fight interviews and press conferences, there is a look on Shogun and Machida's faces like they know something the rest of us don't.

Fight time. The fight starts slow and methodical. Both guys talent levels are so high, that the smallest of mistakes could lead to the end of the fight. They're feeling each other out. It's almost like a chess match. No matter the outcome though, it is safe to say that the Shogun of past has arrived. This is the guy people said would one day rule the MMA world. The first round ends with little damage being inflicted by either fighter, but the edge has to go to Shogun as he landed a few leg and body kicks to Machida, and was more in control of the pace. Round 2 is pretty similar to round 1, only now Shogun is loading up some severe leg and body kicks on the champ. Machida is a bit more active this round however, so I 'll have to say round 2 goes to the champ. Round 3, Shogun is continuing to punish Machida's legs and ribs with some real powerful kicks. Bruising is starting to develop on Machida's ribs. Near the end of the round Machida comes with a strong flurry to try and steal the round, he throws a nice combo, but at the end of the flurry Shogun lands a thundering right that rocks Machida. Very close round, but aside from that one small flurry, it's all Shogun. 2-1 Shogun. Rounds 4 and 5 are not even close as Shogun is taking over the fight. The crowd who in early rounds were pro-Machida are now starting to rally around Shogun, chanting his name. Shogun punishes Machida with leg and body kicks. He removes Machida of his mobility. Machida is wincing after each kick. Shogun is landing at will. Machida can't do much but throw the odd counter punch. As the fight progresses Shogun is getting stronger and faster where as Machida is dwindling.






The final buzzer sounds at the end of the 5th round and Shogun throws his arms up in air in triumph! He as well as 99% of the people watching believe he has just overcome so much adversity to become the UFC light-heavyweight champion. All the critics, the haters, the people who said he was finished, or the people who accused him of steroids had been answered. My brother, and 2 friends had all bet on the fight. With Shogun at +400 we were getting 4 times the amount we bet. Another friend of mine bet $350 on Shogun and was looking forward to a $1400 payout. We were all dancing arm in arm celebrating after the fight, but it wasn't really about the money, it was about the vindication. It was about watching Shogun come all this way to prove the critics wrong. It was about him taking the fights when asked and it was about time.


Bruce Buffer is now in the ring to announce the judge’s decision. The camera pans to Shogun who can't keep his smile contained. His camp is behind him and they're all smiling and talking and awaiting the announcement of the new UFC light heavyweight champion. There isn't a doubt in any of their minds that Shogun just won the title. Now the camera pans to Machida, and he looks defeated, he looks beaten, he looks sullen. His entire camp behind him are looking stunned and deflated with their heads down. They're probably thinking about what went wrong and how to fix the problem. How are they going to make their way back to the title again?

Bruce begins..."All three judges scored the fight 48-47 for the winner......LYOTO "THE DRAGON" MACHIIIIIIIIIIDAAAAAAA


I feel sick to my stomach. The people I am watching with, some cheering for Machida, most cheering for Shogun, are all silent. How could this happen? Shogun is in disbelief. Machida is celebrating as if he just won the lottery. Joe Rogan and Mike Goldberg are baffled. Dana White walks over to Shogun and and says in his ear "I had you winning that fight". The crowd who started the fight cheering on the champ, are now reigning down boos. The message boards are quickly heating up with angry fans ranting about this colossal mistake. ESPN website is reporting that Shogun had just won the UFC title with a 5 round decision over Machida as they tried to be the first to report the news by putting the story up immediately after the fight. The event ends with a shot of Shogun, who is sitting in his locker room with his face buried in his hands.

As the night goes on, fighters, media types, and fans all weigh in on the controversy. Then UFC play-by-play man Joe Rogan drops this gem on his twitter, "Welcome to the Machida ERROR".

All of this is in the past now and the rematch is this Saturday. Tomorrow I will be previewing the fight and weighing in with my thoughts. Last year about a week before the fight I was on record of saying "Shogun will control this fight with effective leg and body kicks". Yeah I know, that's pretty eerie, but was it expert analysis or just wishful thinking? Well, tune in tomorrow to see if I can nail another prediction.