When Lyoto Machida captured the light heavyweight crown in 2009 by laying waste to Rashad Evans, most UFC fans believed we were witnessing the beginning of “The Machida Era”. Unfortunately for Machida, he lost the title only two fights later against Shogun Rua via brutal KO.
Since that time it’s pretty clear that Machida has been on somewhat of a roller coaster ride in the UFC, going 3-2 in his last five bouts.
Machida returns to his home of Brazil this Saturday to face decorated wrestler and former title contender Phil Davis.
Let’s take a closer look at UFC 163’s co-main event.
Phil Davis (11-1-1 NC)
It’s no secret that Davis is one of the best wrestlers in the 205 lb division. His NCAA Division I wrestling pedigree may not be on the same level as Rashad Evans and his BJJ game may not be as dangerous as Jon Jones but Davis still remains a credible contender in the division.
It’s also no secret that the biggest knock on Davis is his striking game. Make no mistake, Davis has taken strides to improve his striking but it’s his wrestling and BJJ that has gotten him this far.
To be successful against the likes of an opponent like Machida, Davis at some point will HAVE to get this fight to the ground. Machida may be far more evolved as a striker but Davis definitely has the edge in the ground game. Davis must use his kicks exclusively to either make his opponent overly aggressive so he can shoot for the takedown or push his opponent’s back towards the cage and work from there. From there he’ll look to soften up his opponent for a submission, but of course, that’s much easier said that done.
Lyoto Machida (19-3)
Before he was stopped in the second round of UFC 140’s title fight with Jon Jones, Machida was clearly getting the best of the champion in the first round. In fact, Machida may be the only man who’s taken a round from the champion during his incredible title reign.
Machida’s intriguing Karate style has garnered as much criticism as it has praise and for that reason alone he has become one of the most talked about figures in the sport. He’s an incredibly elusive counter striker who uses distance to set traps for his opponent, but Machida can be extremely hesitant at times, especially against fighters with heavy hands. Machida won’t have to worry about that Saturday night.
As it was previously stated, Davis is no where near the level of striking of his opponent so it would obviously benefit Machida a great deal to keep this fight on the feet. Machida will be as patient as always and will look to capitalize on any mistake his opponent makes on the feet.
The Bottom Line
According to Bodog, Machida is the favorite (-350) against Davis (+265) and I could not agree more.
Davis is a tremendous physical specimen, but at the end of the day his skills are just not on par with Machida’s. This fight has the possibility of becoming a snoozer but if Davis makes the decision to become the aggressor at some point in the contest don’t be surprised if he’s laying flat on his back at the end of the night asking the referee “What just happened?” a la Ryan Bader.
Zachary Hutton is the lead boxing writer and an MMA contributor for CraveOnline Sports. You can see what he’s up to at his band’s website myunclethewolf.com or also subscribe on Facebook.
