Lyoto Machida Hand Fully Recovered, Begins Intense Training For Mauricio Shogun Rematch

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Manager Ed Soares spoke to the press regarding Lyoto Machida’s fully recovered hand.  He says that Machida is now at100% and has already begun training in preparation for his rematch title fight against Mauricio Shogun.  This main event light heavyweight title bout is scheduled for May 8th at UFC 113 in Montreal.

From Ed Soares:

“I just spoke with him and he’s already started hitting pads and hitting mits, and he says his hand feels great…Before even the Rashad fight it was bothering him, and in between the Rashad and Shogun fights he went to a specialist down in Brazil. The specialist kind of pointed out the problems with it…He had that mentality the show must go on. He just kind of roughed through it, but he said that this last training camp leading up to the Shogun fight there were a lot of times where he had problems. It would be hurting during training when he hit, and once he went to the specialist here they looked at it and they took care of it…There were actually four parts on his hand, some bone spurs that they needed to take out of there. They actually found a little bone fragment in there too.”

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Lyoto Machida’s Father Yoshizo Says He Must Fight Anderson Silva

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Anderson Silva and Lyoto Machida are UFC champions in each of their weight classes and are also considered to be very close friends and MMA training partners.  Due to their elusive fighting techniques, many MMA fans have been asking for a super fight between both of these brilliant fighters.  However, these Brazilian champions continue to say that they would never fight each other because of their friendship.  According to Machida’s father, Yoshizo Machida, he strongly feels that they should indeed face each other sometime down the line.

From Yoshizo Machida:

“There is only one champion, so I believe this fight must happen. It’s a professional issue, and I believe they can fight. Deep down, everyone wants to know who is strongest. Friendship is friendship, but they’re not amateurs. The eventual winner isn’t my concern. What matters to me is how they win, and their strategy. This would be a mental battle…Karate also has its weaknesses, and no one had seen them up until now. Shogun exploited them, and deserves congratulations.Had Shogun fought as he normally does, with his arms, Lyoto would’ve knocked him out in the first or second round. We did not expect him to kick that much and neglected the karate defense, which is different from the Muay Thai defense. Before the kick, you move up and stop the attack.”

Let’s just wait and see what happens at UFC 113.  Will Lyoto beat Shogun in their rematch and defend his title?  Or will Shogun have what it takes to claim the UFC light heavyweight belt for the very first time in his career?

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Incredible Trailer Video For UFC 113 ‘Machida vs Shogun 2′

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Machida Eager To Fight Shogun Again For UFC Title, Talks Anderson Silva and Rogerio Nogueira

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MMA Manager Ed Soares Talks Anderson Silva, Machida, Dos Santos, GSP, Shogun and Nogueira Brothers

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A visit to the infamous Blackhouse MMA gym located in Los Angeles, California. Featured in this video is Anderson Silva, his kids and one of the most successful MMA managers in the world, Ed Soares.  Ed talks issues surrounding Anderson Silva’s injury and fight against Vitor Belfort for 2010, his thoughts on a bout between GSP and Anderson, and his reasoning behind the Machida controversial win over Shogun Rua.

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Shogun Confirms Rematch Against Machida At UFC 113, May Use Different Strategy On May 1

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Mauricio ‘Shogun’ Rua was truly disappointed with his recent controversial unanimous decision loss to Lyoto ‘The Dragon’ Machida at UFC 104.  Nonetheless, Rua was recently informed by his manager that he would be fighting Machida in an immediate rematch as promised by UFC President Dana White during the UFC 104 post-fight press conference.  Just like White, many UFC fans around the world also believed that Rua was the true winner in their first encounter; however, the judges saw the fight differently and that is why a rematch was necessary in the eyes of many.

The former 2005 Pride Grand Prix middleweight champion confirmed the news, stating that he is scheduled to fight on May 1st in Montreal for the UFC light heavyweight title.  Shogun has jumped right into training, while Machida continues to recover from a hand injury he sustained during  their first fight.

From Shogun:

“I’m just going to start the preparation and let’s go there. The UFC has already confirmed with my manager that I will fight Lyoto again. It’s just missing to sign the contract but the verbal agreement is done. I still don’t think whether I will follow the same strategy rather than the formerly one. I’m going to sit down with the team to map it out. This rematch is much wished because it’s a title shot for the world championship. It’s my biggest interest. I’m sure worried to achieve my dream and the revenge comes on the second plan. I was choked for that loss against him, but Machida has no blame. The judges are the guilty who were the only three people in the world that understood he won the fight.”

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Thiago Silva Prepares For UFC 108 Fight Against Rashad Evans, Eager For Lyoto Machida Rematch

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Following his loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 94, Thiago Silva tells us how his first knockout defeat affected his “soul.”  Silva was able to quickly bounce back with a victory over Keith Jardine at UFC 102, but his loss to Machida will stay in his head until he is able to acquire his rematch sometime down the road.

While appearing as guest analyst on ESPN MMA Live, Rashad Evans confirmed that he would be facing Thiago Silva in the main event, in large part due to a confrontation between the two backstage at UFC 102.  According to Evans, the two had a stare down after he approached Silva to congratulate him on his victory over good friend Keith Jardine.

Their bout is scheduled for UFC 108 on January 2nd, 2010 and will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

From Thiago Silva via tatame.com:

“[In regards to his UFC 108 fight against Rashad Evans] I am well trained, gas, almost the weight and still missing two months. I’m working hard conditioning first, then begin to enter the technical part of the strategy…Everyone can expect a lively fight. Everyone knows that I’m an aggressive guy, but also reaches a certain point that we have to be aggressive, but smart. I study his game here and the easiest way I find to reach a victory is what will be done…[In regards to a rematch fight against Lyoto Machida] It was the first defeat of my career, it hurt the soul, I made several mistakes and unfortunately had to learn from defeat, but I’m here and I want my revenge…The strategic part, I went a lot to fight, but it reaches a level that has, for more comfortable that we have to fight, the technical strategy and count. I think the strategy is 50% of the way and should be well done…Training is as strong as ever, especially now with the arrival of new galley, like Kimbo (Slice), Denis Kang is back, training is even stronger and we are there on the run. The training is a total mess, I had never seen the academy as it is now. The drills are being more difficult than a fight … We have some 15 partners tops the Lard is training with me here, is one of the best tracks for me, is parceirão, is helping me to train … Is excellent, I have no complaints.  [In regards to training with Kimbo Slice] Kimbo is a fighter and is hard to mesh with the gang. He is an athlete’s level, will fight in December and the guys are giving a strength. I think he will fight to 93kg, amid heavy.”

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Lyoto Machida To Fix The Holes In His Game In Rematch Fight Against Mauricio Shogun

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Mauricio Shogun Blames UFC 104 Loss On Judges, Not Lyoto Machida

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Mauricio “Shogun” Rua shares his thoughts on his controversial decision loss to Lyoto Machida at UFC 104:

“You just have to look at my face and his (Lyoto). I didn’t suffer one kick, only some knees but he has a rib broken neither get to walk and his mouth is stitched. They made some fighting analysis and I landed the double of hits. Will the judges say they didn’t see that? They will speak anything to justify the result. I feel pissed for my score (18-4), I prize a lot for it and I don’t consider this loss. I didn’t meet Lyoto after the fight but he’s a man I respect so much. He’s blameless, it’s judges’ culprit. Only them say the fight that way. I don’t blame Machida at all.”

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UFC 104 Judge Cecil Peoples Gives His Reasons For Picking Machida Over Shogun

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The UFC 104 main event fight between Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida and Mauricio “Shogun” Rua was perhaps one of the most controversial MMA decisions in 2009.  Although Machida earned the razor-thin decision to his favor, many fight fans continue to believe that Rua was indeed the true winner that night.

Cecil Peoples was one of three judges that scored the UFC 104 main event and this is what he had to say about the fight:

“The fans and all the naysayers, I don’t worry about. I don’t back down because it’s not popular. My thing is, Rua did hit him more. But Machida hit him harder, especially in the early rounds. I’m really perplexed about how you give (Rua) [Round 1], because Shogun was kicking (Machida) a lot in the legs, but every time he kicked him in the legs, he got hit in the face. Shogun would put his hand up, and Machida would go right through, sweat’s flying off (Rua’s) face. Shogun kicked (Machida) in the belly –- that’s how he got the red mark. But you gotta remember, Machida is stepping back, so when he gets kicked, he’s getting brushed. But he counters Shogun with a hard kick to the belly. Which one counts more for the exchange? I give it to the (second one), because it was harder. It wasn’t brushed. Machida was controlling that round because he was dominant in not getting beat up in that round. He was the general in that first round. I give the fight to Machida in a very, very close fight. Now you’re pissed off because it’s my fault that you lost your money. No, it’s not. It’s Machida’s fault. If you don’t like it, you can go to hell.”

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