Id like to see him fight like that one more time before i say he has changed my opinion on him entirely, and who knows maybe two more like that and ill be a fan.

All you really saw was him be a little more aggressive than he usually is. The moves and technique are pretty much mirror images of his previous performances. Did he really “hone his skill” or did he just see more openings and opportunities to attack on Silva, who had nothing? Silva was pretty much a forward moving punching bag. He probably was a little more motivated to put on a dominating performance in effort to win over fans and get a title shot, but Silva’s style was tailor-made to get f’ed up by Machida’s.

yes, that’s exactly it. that is what he always does. the problem is it’s hard to see it. anyone can see if a grappler FAKES a strike then level changes and does a clear takedown. that is bjj’s original mma 101 move. Machida’s skill is harder to see because his punches land then turn right into knockdowns before you can say “counterpunch”. I think that must also be demoralizing. I would hate it if everything I tried resulted in me being knocked on my ass even if I were the best ground fighter ever. If you close like the stereotypical grappler with crap standup, he’ll punch you and do that. If you close like the stereotypical striker with crap takedowns, he’ll do the same thing. If you are good at both, you’d better study and practice harder.

Look at these gifs if you think Machida is boring: http://www.spladdle.com/?p=124 – they should cure you.

I agree with kidneybeans, though. Tournament!!!

To answer your questions…I pretty much hated his style of fighting…i found it OVERLY evasive, frustrating to watch, and boring. I was opposed to anything associated with him, and cringed at the very thought of him ever getting a title.

After the fight, i almost couldnt believe my eyes…To see what Dana had been getting at after the lackluster/not as exciting fights machida had, where i believed he was just making excuses until he lost and could cut him. However i will admit that it seemed like Machida did in fact hone his style, and execute it flawlessly. Im not sure he was even hit in that fight, which in previous fights would piss me off because he would have been running most of the fight. This time around i saw absolutely incredible counterpunching skill with a deadly flow and pep in his step, evading YET somehow pressing thiago. I remember saying he looked to be in two places at once. He had thiago looking like Filho in his second bout with sonnen…simply confused. WELL DONE LYOTO.

While i give the man his due credit, i will not be climbing aboard his wagon just yet. Id like to see him fight like that one more time before i say he has changed my opinion on him entirely, and who knows maybe two more like that and ill be a fan.

So far, no one can resist chasing Machida around. I wonder if Rashad and Machida would just circle each other for 25 minutes. The boos would be deafening. The first guy that gets Machida to come ahead on the attack is the guy that has the best shot at beating him – the other approach is not what the analysts call “a strategy for victory”. Somebody’s got to try something different.

Machida’s KO of Silva was very impressive.

Unless the fans start pressuring the dudes in charge we will never know for sure who deserves what. I encourage everyone to start making noise to the UFC, we don’t like someone telling us who the number one contender is.

What would Machida look like if someone wasn’t chasing him? Has he fought someone with TRUE one-hit knockout power? I would be interested to see him in those scenarios. It’s not that I doubt he would do well, I am just intrigued by what that would look like. Machida vs. A. Silva would be a truly compelling technical fight.

Felt for a long time, and have also seen comments written over time, that the UFC is not a legitimage sporting entity, it is an invitation only tournament. There is no protocol in place to assure a fair, logical ascension through the ranks, ending in a title shot for a deserving fighter. Joe Silva and Dana White decide who is good for business, and reward those fighters. Many great matches have come out of this process, but in Machida’s case, he’s been denied when many of us have seen championship form in his style, because of the widely help perception that he has put on boring contests that fans don’t appreciate.

Really happy for Machida and for other fans who have appreciated his talents that he handled Thiago Silva in as authoritative a fashion as he did, and that the fight ended in a highlight reel stoppage. Personally, I have enjoyed watching him all along ( I think I first saw him on a late night replay of an old K-1 event) and hope that now that he has gained some well deserved notoriety, as well as apparently having gotten into the good graces of Dana White, that Machida will receive the title shot he has been deserving of.

To imagine waiting for a Rampage/Evans matchup, after the Rampage/Jardine matchup, puts the Madhida title shot most of a year away, which is too long. An interim fight will be in order, but who’s left? Forrest Griffin, perhaps, or maybe Dan Henderson at 205? Oh wait, Henderson is doing TUF, and Griffin is trying to put his hand back together following his loss to Rashad… Shogun is fighting Chuck, and Tito is outside the UFC, already beaten once by Machida. Maybe Steve Cantwell? Too much inactivity is not good for fighters, or for their fans.