STEROID
12-08-2011, 12:46 AM
Lyoto Machida ready to capitalize on 'surprise' UFC 140 title fight
by Dann Stupp and John Morgan on Dec 07
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/954/91171210.jpg (http://bodybuilderselite.com/bbelite/redirect-to/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fimg835.imageshack.us%2Fimg8 35%2F954%2F91171210.jpg)
TORONTO – Few people were caught as off guard to UFC 140's announced main event as one of the guys in it.
With Rashad Evans again injured, UFC officials booked UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones against-ex-titleholder Lyoto Machida in this weekend's pay-per-view headliner.
As Machida today told MMAjunkie.com, you can count him among the initially surprised parties.
"To be honest with you, it was a big surprise because of the way things were working out with contenders and the fight and also Jon Jones having the title and that he'll be fighting four times, which is a lot for a guy to fight in a year," he said through translator and manager Ed Soares. "So it was a big surprise. Also (with) me not taking that fight (against Evans at UFC 133) and those different things going around, it was a big surprise.
"But I was very happy."
Machida (17-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) now has a shot to reclaim his belt when he fights the fast-rising Jones (14-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 140, which takes place at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. The bout headlines the night's pay-per-view main card following prelims on Facebook and ION Television.
It's Machida's second straight fight in Toronto, where he scored a vicious jumping-front-kick KO of MMA legend Randy Couture earlier this year at UFC 129. That followed a two-fight skid to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Quinton Jackson, and it came in front of what was largely a hostile crowd.
"That victory and that fight were very important for me because I have a lot of respect for Randy Couture, and to come up here to a place where Randy Couture had a lot of fans, it was very different because I'm not used to having fans on an opponent's side," he said. "Hopefully this time around, I would gladly accept the fans being on my side."
That's going to be easier said than done with Jones, who was just 23 when he dethroned Rua earlier this year for the belt. Jones has shot up the pound-for-pound rankings, become a mainstream hit, and made many in the industry dub him a new generation of fighter.
But Machida sees advantages in two areas – both in experience and in technique. And yes, those two recent losses helped him realize that.
"I feel like I'm in a much more mature stage of my life," Machida said. "I've experienced everything now. I've experienced what it's like to be a champion, experienced what it's like to lose, what it's like to be knocked out, experienced what it's like to come back and get a big win. So I just feel a different fighter and a man, I'm more mature and I'm better prepared today than I was a year ago.
"Honestly, Jon Jones is an in credible athlete. He's very athletic, but I believe in what I study and what I trained for, and I believe in my techniques."
Losing once was a foreign concept to Machida, a Shotokan karate specialist who opened his MMA career with a 16-0 record and an aura of invincibility in the UFC following wins over Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans and Rua.
But the trials and tribulations that comes with fighting the world's best competition taught him a valuable lesson, and he learned not to put too much of his self worth in the belt he once wrapped around his waist.
"I think the thing I learned the most was that you can't put too much value on anything in life," he said. "Nothing in life is 100 percent. Everything in life is temporary, even your kids. You raise your kids and put all your love in them, and eventually, they get up and leave and live their own life.
"I think that experience just helped me realize not to put too much value on any one thing, and [losing something] is just a part of life."
by Dann Stupp and John Morgan on Dec 07
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/954/91171210.jpg (http://bodybuilderselite.com/bbelite/redirect-to/?redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fimg835.imageshack.us%2Fimg8 35%2F954%2F91171210.jpg)
TORONTO – Few people were caught as off guard to UFC 140's announced main event as one of the guys in it.
With Rashad Evans again injured, UFC officials booked UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones against-ex-titleholder Lyoto Machida in this weekend's pay-per-view headliner.
As Machida today told MMAjunkie.com, you can count him among the initially surprised parties.
"To be honest with you, it was a big surprise because of the way things were working out with contenders and the fight and also Jon Jones having the title and that he'll be fighting four times, which is a lot for a guy to fight in a year," he said through translator and manager Ed Soares. "So it was a big surprise. Also (with) me not taking that fight (against Evans at UFC 133) and those different things going around, it was a big surprise.
"But I was very happy."
Machida (17-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) now has a shot to reclaim his belt when he fights the fast-rising Jones (14-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 140, which takes place at Toronto's Air Canada Centre. The bout headlines the night's pay-per-view main card following prelims on Facebook and ION Television.
It's Machida's second straight fight in Toronto, where he scored a vicious jumping-front-kick KO of MMA legend Randy Couture earlier this year at UFC 129. That followed a two-fight skid to Mauricio "Shogun" Rua and Quinton Jackson, and it came in front of what was largely a hostile crowd.
"That victory and that fight were very important for me because I have a lot of respect for Randy Couture, and to come up here to a place where Randy Couture had a lot of fans, it was very different because I'm not used to having fans on an opponent's side," he said. "Hopefully this time around, I would gladly accept the fans being on my side."
That's going to be easier said than done with Jones, who was just 23 when he dethroned Rua earlier this year for the belt. Jones has shot up the pound-for-pound rankings, become a mainstream hit, and made many in the industry dub him a new generation of fighter.
But Machida sees advantages in two areas – both in experience and in technique. And yes, those two recent losses helped him realize that.
"I feel like I'm in a much more mature stage of my life," Machida said. "I've experienced everything now. I've experienced what it's like to be a champion, experienced what it's like to lose, what it's like to be knocked out, experienced what it's like to come back and get a big win. So I just feel a different fighter and a man, I'm more mature and I'm better prepared today than I was a year ago.
"Honestly, Jon Jones is an in credible athlete. He's very athletic, but I believe in what I study and what I trained for, and I believe in my techniques."
Losing once was a foreign concept to Machida, a Shotokan karate specialist who opened his MMA career with a 16-0 record and an aura of invincibility in the UFC following wins over Tito Ortiz, Thiago Silva, Rashad Evans and Rua.
But the trials and tribulations that comes with fighting the world's best competition taught him a valuable lesson, and he learned not to put too much of his self worth in the belt he once wrapped around his waist.
"I think the thing I learned the most was that you can't put too much value on anything in life," he said. "Nothing in life is 100 percent. Everything in life is temporary, even your kids. You raise your kids and put all your love in them, and eventually, they get up and leave and live their own life.
"I think that experience just helped me realize not to put too much value on any one thing, and [losing something] is just a part of life."