Mauricio “Shogun” Rua and Lyoto Machida agree to rematch
After the biggest robbery in MMA since Lee Murray, it looks like justice will be served. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua will get an immediate shot at redemption in a rematch with Lyoto Machida.
UFC President Dana White recently confirmed, “I think there will be a rematch in that fight. I talked to both of them and they both agreed to a rematch.”
In the post fight press conference, Rua voiced his opinion on a rematch with the champion, “Of course I’m thinking about a rematch ever since the fight, and if that’s Dana’s wish and Lyoto’s wish, I’ll fight him anywhere, anytime, wherever. It’s just a matter of people wanting to put the fight together.”
Lyoto “The Dragon” Machida also expressed interest in an immediate rematch; “Of course if the UFC decides we should have a rematch then let’s have a rematch.”
Dana White added he believes the second fight will be different than the first, “I’m pretty confident the rematch will be a different fight for both guys. I guarantee the next fight is going to be much different. I think they’re both going to come in and not make the same mistakes they made this first fight. They’re going to come in and each one is going to try to win decisively. I think that the second fight will be the fight we want to see. I love this rematch. I think it’s a great rematch.”
Jason Polley is is a contributor to FiveOuncesofPain.com
| All posts by Jason Polley
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Weak-Sauce.
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Well-Done.
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Maybe we can get the Re-Match for free on SPIKE!
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Weak-Sauce.
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Well-Done.
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I don’t like the sound of Dana’s comments though. He is saying “this won’t be the same fight” translation: they won’t dance around each other, I promise you they will ignore all technique and just hit each other in the face. Why can’t he just tell the truth? The next match will involve some different techniques, but will still be a chess match.
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This fight will easily sell as the Main event IMO. I dont think it can be anything but the main event you know. It is so much more marketable now. First, Shogun has proved to everyone that he is back, and has shown newer MMA (UFC) fans why he was once considered the best LHW in the world. Secondly… many thought Shogun won the fight. Thirdly, it was very close, and could have gone either way (even though i thought it should have gone Shoguns). Fourthly, both fighters are going to have even more urgency to finish the fight, and not leave it up to the judges again (especially Shogun). fifth reason… the odds wil be alot less against Shogun, and some may possibly even put Shogun as the favourite after what happened last fight.
The fight is extremely marketable, more so than the first. The countdown show is going to even more dramatic than ever.
This fight will be nothing but a main event, and will sell big aswell. Especially when put on an already stacked card.
Well-Done.
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Well-Done.
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Yeh would be good to see this fight on there.. aswell as GSP defending against winner of Hardy and Swick…. We need to see GSP fight again.. and soon lol. And that would make UFC 109 a very very exciting fight card.
Well-Done.
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Hot debate. What do you think?
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Well-Done.
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Hot debate. What do you think?
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Awesome first line Jason LOL. I was one of the very few on this site who had Shogun picked to win before the fight, but I don’t like his odds in the rematch. Machida will never take a body kick again, and he will probably never take half as many leg kicks. Shogun fought the fight so perfect that I just don’t think he could match his performance. I would love to see Shogun, who should have the belt all along, win the fight and prove everyone wrong, but I just don’t see it happening. I think it will play out more like the first, with Machida trying to outpoint Rua.
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anyone who mentions Lee Murray gets my vote
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Lee Murray
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Rua didn’t close the deal when he had Machida hurt and tired. The next fight Machida will be expecting his “perfect game plan.” When fight #2 happens advantage Machida.
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look @ this picture
http://img248.imageshack.us/img248/6248/lhwchamp.jpg
the RIGHT way
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Just watched it again, and here are my thoughts. Machida definitely won. Yeah I said it. Machida won. It reminded me a lot of the Forrest/Rampage fight. Rampage landed strikes with more power, but Forrest landed way more strikes in terms of quantity. That is the same thing that happened in this fight with the same result.
Did Shogun land more powerful strikes? No doubt. Did Shogun’s hands and feet touch Machida more times than Machida’s strikes landing on Shogun? No way, especially the first 3 rounds. IMO, the first 3 rounds were Machida’s (very close, but still Machida landed more shots). Shogun finished in better shape, but this does not determine who wins a decision.
Look at round 3. Shogun landed several great kicks, Machida would counter with short, two-punch combos or a kick. It was very close up until the last 30 seconds of the round. But when finishing the round, Machida landed 13 clean shots and Shogun landed one clean shot. Machida took the took the round convincingly in those closing seconds.
If a fighter is going to win a decision, he doesn’t have to hit harder: he has to hit more often.
I also think Shogun proved he’s the top contender, and deserves the re-match. He was never in danger of being finished (contrast this with Rashad’s unconscious “gumby wobble” to finish his effort).
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Also, most of the time, I think Goldberg/Rogan are excellent. I think Joe Rogan is very informed and is great at getting to the key points very quickly. However,they called this with a clear bias to Shogun. During the replay of Machida pounding Shogun at the end of round 3 (Machida hit him and kneed him and kicked him at least 13 times) Joe Rogan makes the comment that Shogun landed one clean shot.
In the middle of four, there was also an exchange where Shogun kicked Machida in the side, but it was mostly blocked. Machida immediately countered with a strong right hand, but the commentators were more impressed with the kick that did minimal damage.
Again, I think the re-match is a great call. While I think Machida won, it was very close. I can’t wait to see it.
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I don’t think the fight was even that close, Shogun clearly won that fight. I’m not sure what some people expect when you’re opponent is notorious for not engaging and forcing you to chase him? Taking Machida’s style into account and how Shogun beat him at his own game while pressing the action makes this a clear win.
Machida was broken and knew he lost, personally I don’t see where he comes back and blows Shogun away after this.
Next fight Shogun will ko him and the third round everyone is talking about when Machida flurried was much to do about nothing. Shogun was backed up, almost every shot missed and the biggest shot in that whole exchange was Shogun’s big right hook which sent Machida bolting out of there.
No one has ever hurt Shogun, his chin is made of granite and I think he’ll bring an even better game plan where he’ll leave no doubt.
On the other hand he better run a couple more marathons to prepare him for the running Lyoto will do next fight, as many believe the champ just needs to show up to win.
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I’ve heard Dana talk a “network deal” in 2010. Talk about a perfect main event for a nationwide network audience. Rivalry, national attention, two great fighters in their prime – everything that makes for a compelling UFC fight.
This rematch could and should be the fight that launches the UFC on a major network and starts them competing with the other major professional sports for broadcast network airtime.
As Buffer would say “It’s time!”
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Niv, go back and watch the round 3 flurry in slow-mo. Machida lands at least 12-13 CLEAN strikes to end the round and Rua lands one really good one. In a decision, 13 well-placed strikes will always trump one large strike, even if the one inflicts a lot of damage. In the end was Machida more injured than Shogun? No doubt about it. But a fighter does not win a decision based on how badly he hurts the other guy: he wins a decision by landing larger # of strikes, especially when most of the points are scored by striking (which was what happened in this fight).
If Rua was not going to win by out-striking, he needed to out-wrestle Machida (look at Gleison Tibeau), but he could never drag him down (even when Machida slipped and fell on the mat in Rd 4, Shogun still couldn’t get him down). Neither fighter was ever on his back or even knocked down.
CSAC has rules for the judges. After looking at those rules, and watching this fight, it is easy to see how Machida won. Those rules may suck or be ineffective, but Machida and Shogun were well aware of what those rules were, and Machida had the better strategy and execution for three rounds, especially when scored under CSAC rules. Add it all up, and Machida wins.
I was like everyone else. When I left Staples Center, I thought Shogun had been robbed. I looked carefully at what the judges look for, and then it at least made sense why they ruled the way they did.
What did we all learn today? When fighting, never, never, never leave it in the hands of the judges.
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I can understand why Machida won, based on how they scored the fight. But i completely disagree with it. I mean, i think its extremely flawed. I have rewatched the fight, and i can see why the judges scored the first 3 rounds as Machida rounds. However i disagree with it. I think strikes should be scored on how effective they are. And Shogun did not once looked hurt or in trouble. Yeh.. Machida did not either… but he looked far more damaged than Shogun. What im saying thouhg, is that in a close decision like that, i think damage should be the deciding factor. How effective were the strikes…? That question needs to be asked i think. Especially when a fighter is known for back pedalling..alot lol. And is known for taking little to know damage. What i took from Cecil Peoples statement of how he scored the fight (i thought alot of what he said was ridiculous, he also scored the Silva vs Leites fight as 48-47!!!! LOL), is that it seems like he scored the fight on styles. He scored Machida for apparently taking Octagon control by making Shoguns come after him, so basically he controlled the Octagon by back pedalling? Does that mean that all counter strikers always get the upper hand? Hmm… i honestly thought it was the other way round, unless the counterstriker was extremely dominant, and landed effective counterstrikes. He also claimed that leg kicks dont end a fight…. hmm IMO, leg kicks are a HUGE factor, when used effectively. They completely change a fighters game when used well… if a fighter hasnt got his movement… they are pretty much done. Leg kicks do alot of damage… Anyone who competes (like myself), know how much leg kicks and body kicks hurt. And how they can affect you. He also had a pop at the fans lol, saying that any fans with understanding of the technicalities of the sport will know that Machida won… i thought this was very unfair. Iv been a fan of the sport for over 10 years now. Iv also trained for 8 years in Muay Thai. So martial arts is a big part of my life. I have watched MANY organisations, including obviously the UFC, and some organisations would have definetly gave Shogun the fight, as he inflicted more damage, and landed the more effective strikes. Some organisations actually judged the WHOLE fight, not rounds. Meaning.. im confident i have a firm understanding on the technicalities, and i dont drink alcohol.. so i wasnt drunk lol. And iv watched it 4 times now, and i still think Shogun won. However, based on the way they score the fights, i can understand how Machida won.
I completely agree with your ending comment. And i think Machida and Shogun are going to go into the rematch KNOWING they are going to need to finish the fight. So… we may also have an even more exciting fight.
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It is embarrassing for a columnist to start his article by calling the decision from this past Saturday the worst decision since whatever… THAT FIGHT WAS SUPER CLOSE.
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN MATT HAMILL VERSUS MICHAEL BISPING? THAT IS THE WORST DECISION EVER.
IN MMA, especially the UFC, one loss can set you back for two years or 4 to 6 fights, depending on who you are.
The fact that so many including people who matter are calling for a rematch, make this decision less bad than you make it out to be.
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submit6626 “Niv, go back and watch the round 3 flurry in slow-mo. Machida lands at least 12-13 CLEAN strikes to end the round and Rua lands one really good one.”
I find that very surprising as I’ve watched this fight a few times now. Fightmetric shows Machida landed 15 shots the entire round but you scored him with 12-13 Clean strikes to one for Shogun in the last few moments of that round. The third round was given to Machida solely on the perception that he did damage in that exchange, and I contend he did very little than look aggressive there. Shogun landed the one cleaner harder shot in there and Machida booked it outta there.
If you read the analyses on this site, sherdog and mmajunkie everyone who did a live round by round analysis scored the fight anywhere from 48-47, 50-45 Rua, not one saw what you and a few judges saw.
Either way I’m tired of this debate right now, my opinion and that of 99% of the people that watched this fight had Shogun win it easily. We’ll just have to wait a while before it can get settled outright.
I’ll stick to my guns that Shogun’s going to ko him and leave no doubt who the better fighter is next time.
http://fightmetric.com/fights/Machida-Shogun.html
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Niv, fightmetric’s computer nerds must be on drugs. Where tf did they learn to count like that?
Anyway rematch is the best news I read here all day.
- Machida will have a plan against leg kicks.
- Both will throw more variety of attacks.
- Both will be more aggressive.
Win all around.
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One thing I agree with is this fight should be free on spike. If it had no controversy this fight is like waiting for something to happen and….
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